Love and Trust
by luckyj525
Summary: Serena, a new girl, transfers to Hogwarts. Takes place during the Marauders' sixth year and on. Sirius & Serena, James & Lily, Frank & Alice, Remus & OC. Their tales of living and loving while fighting Death Eaters and Voldemort.
1. Prologue

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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_**Prologue – Takes place sometime after OotP**_

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting on the stairs, trying their best to remain undetected. They were at the Burrow, and a few members of the Order of the Phoenix were talking in the kitchen. Try as they might, they couldn't hear anything of interest. Finally they heard the sound of scraping chairs, and Harry knew that the meeting was over. He, Ron, and Hermione scurried back up to Ron's room.

"Harry," Hermione began hesitantly once they reached Ron's room. "Professor Lupin is here tonight."

Harry looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, so?"

"So maybe, oh, I don't know," Hermione said, wringing her hands. "Maybe we could ask him about Serena."

Ron and Hermione both looked at Harry with bated breath. Before Sirius had died, Ron and Hermione had told Harry that when they were sneaking around the house at night, trying to overhear Order of the Phoenix business, they had heard Sirius muttering the name 'Serena' in his sleep. Harry had never gotten the chance to ask Sirius who Serena was, and Hermione didn't know if he'd want to hear anything about Sirius now. Harry was, understandably, upset about Sirius' death – they all were. But Hermione thought that maybe, just maybe, Harry would feel better if he learned more about the godfather he had so loved.

Harry surprised her by saying, "Yeah, all right."

So Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way downstairs to find Remus Lupin. They found him sitting in an old comfy armchair in the room off the kitchen, and he looked up with a weary smile when he saw them. "Harry, Ron, Hermione. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked pleasantly.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry, electing him to ask the question. Harry met Lupin's politely puzzled gaze and said, "Professor, who was Serena?"

To the three teenager's surprise, Lupin did not ask 'Serena who?' but instead sat back in his chair. "Serena. There's a name I haven't heard in almost twenty years," he said, almost to himself.

"So you knew her?" Ron asked.

"Oh, yes. Of course. She was in our year back at Hogwarts. She and Lily were best friends," Lupin added, looking at Harry.

Harry felt that happy feeling inside that he always felt when he heard details about his parents' lives. "What does that have to do with Sirius?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing. And everything. Merlin knows, if Lily and Serena hadn't been best friends, Sirius would never have had a chance."

Here Lupin paused, looking at Harry, Ron, and Hermione consideringly. "Never had a chance at what?" Ron asked, sounding a tad impatient.

"This is a very long story," Lupin said. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodded vigorously. Lupin sighed and settled back in his chair. "All right. It all began our sixth year at Hogwarts. James and Lily had finally gotten together towards the end of fifth year, and then when we came back for sixth year, we had a new student. She had moved around a lot, but finally ended up at Hogwarts for the last two years of school. Her name was Serena Ashby. And she was the love of Sirius' life."


	2. Introducing Serena Ashby

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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_**Marauder time – James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter's 6**__**th**__** Year at Hogwarts**_

Sirius Black made his way to the Hogwarts Express all by himself. Tall, with black hair that was a bit too long and intense brown eyes, he remained oblivious to the appreciative glances some of the witches were sending his way as he thought about how his life had just changed. He was _never_ going back to the house where his family lived. He couldn't call it a home, because it had never truly been a home for Sirius. For his younger brother Regalus, yes, but not for him. As his mother often told him, Sirius was a disappointment to the Black family name. _If being a human being with compassion makes me a disappointment to my family name, _Sirius thought, _Then I don't want that name._

This was it. He had already sent an owl to James, who had replied and said that he could live with the Potters. James Potter was his best friend, and Mr. and Mrs. Potter always said that Sirius was like a second son to them. His mother might have screamed that she disowned him, but in Sirius' mind, it was he who had disowned his entire family.

Dragging his trunk behind him towards the train, Sirius saw the back of his fellow Marauder Peter Pettigrew's head. "Hey! Wormtail!" Sirius yelled.

He ran to catch up with his friend, and the two made their way to the train.

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Serena Ashby bit her lip nervously. As was her habit when she was nervous or anxious, she started fingering the pendant that hung from the necklace she always wore. The pendant hung from a long silver chain that usually remained hidden under Serena's robes. The pendant itself was a bird made of sapphires and diamonds. It had passed through her father's family for generations, and when Serena's mother Regina Ashby had died, Serena's father had insisted that Serena now wear the necklace. She found that playing with it when she was nervous helped her to calm down.

And she was definitely nervous now. Her older brother Al had arranged it so that she could travel by Floo powder to Dumbledore's office, and sure enough, here she was. The only thing was, she was alone. _Where's Dumbledore? Am I supposed to find him? I came at the time he told me to…didn't I? What if – _

Serena's thoughts were interrupted as the man she recognized as Hogwart's own Albus Dumbledore walked through the door. "Serena Ashby?" Dumbledore queried.

"Yes sir," Serena answered.

She could only imagine how she looked after traveling. She had tried to dust the soot off her new Hogwarts robes and her bright blond hair was a little mussed, but Serena was classically beautiful. She had long, straight blond hair; warm, bright blue eyes framed by long, inky black lashes; a straight, aristocratic nose; and high cheekbones. She was rather short at only five feet three inches, and petite in frame. Serena weighed maybe one hundred pounds when soaking wet, and she was a bit flat in the chest area. She would never be tall and voluptuous. Still, Serena knew that, when clean, she was a pretty girl.

"I am Professor Dumbledore, as I am sure you have gathered. Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Dumbledore had closed the door to his office behind him, and he made his way over to some sort of storage cabinet and opened it, reaching in as he continued to speak. "As it is highly unusual for a student to transfer in her sixth year, I propose we avoid any further attention and – " here he pulled out a dilapidated old hat " – do your Sorting privately. It may cause unwanted attention if you are the lone sixth year being Sorted with all of the first years, don't you agree?"

"Oh, yes," Serena agreed fervently.

The last thing she wanted to do was draw the entire school's attention towards herself. She looked at the Sorting Hat apprehensively. "Um – what, exactly – how am I sorted?" she asked.

"Oh, it's nothing difficult nor frightening, Miss Ashby. Just take a seat and try on our delightfully useful Sorting Hat."

Still eyeing the hat suspiciously, Serena nevertheless did as she was told. She sat, and Dumbledore slipped the hat onto her head.

The hat slipped over her eyes and Serena couldn't see anything when, to her surprise, she heard a voice in her head. "Ah, a bit old to be Sorted for Hogwarts, aren't we?" the Sorting Hat said quietly in her ear.

The hat must have sensed the angry thought she directed at it, because it chuckled. "Feisty, aren't we? You're quite smart, you know, and would do well in Ravenclaw, but – no?"

Serena was surprised. The hat could hear her thoughts? Because it was right, she did not want to be in Ravenclaw. She had heard that Gryffindor was the best House to be in. After all, Dumbledore had been a Gryffindor. "Dumbledore would have turned out the same way, no matter what House he was a part of in his youth. You'd really be excellent in Ravenclaw, you know, judging by your mind and your family, but – no? Well then, I think you're better suited for GRYFFINDOR!" the hat finished loudly, so that Dumbledore could hear.

Suddenly Serena could see again. Dumbledore set the hat on his desk, beaming at her. "Excellent, excellent! Gryffindor is a great house to be a part of – as are they all, of course – I'm sure you'll fit right in. I'll call one of your fellow Gryffindor prefects to help you get settled in before heading down to the Welcoming Feast."

As Dumbledore muttered something and waved his wand – which Serena could only assume was his way of summoning a prefect – she decided to ask him a question. "What, exactly, is a prefect, Professor Dumbledore?" she asked politely.

Dumbledore looked surprised. "They didn't have prefects at your old school?"

"Well – no."

"I see. Which wizarding schools did you attend? I seem to have forgotten."

Serena squirmed under his piercing gaze. Just what, exactly, had her brother Al told Dumbledore? She suspected that Dumbledore would see through any holes in her story, and knew she had to tell him the complete truth. "I went to Salem's School of Magic for two years, when we lived in America, and then when we moved back to Europe I attended Durmstrang Institute for one year and Beauxbatons Academy for two."

To her relief, Dumbledore didn't question her anymore and instead told her what a prefect was. Serena was glad for this; she abhorred Dark magic and Dark wizards in every form, and she didn't like telling people she had attended Durmstrang because she didn't want them to get the wrong idea about her. She had attended Durmstrang for a year because her brother had wanted her to get to know what it was like living among Dark wizards, and to actually learn some Dark Arts instead of just learning how to defend herself against them. Al had insisted that it would help protect her in the long run, and since he was all she had left, she had agreed. After a year, however, she couldn't stand it anymore and Al had allowed her to attend Beauxbatons.

It was during her second year at Beauxbatons when her uncle and Dumbledore had come to her and Al and persuaded them to move to England and for Serena to attend Hogwarts. Although Serena, Al, and their father had moved to America when Serena had been eight, their true home had always been England. The Ashby's were an old wizarding family in Britain, pureblood through and through. Serena's mother had been a pureblood as well, but Serena's family had never felt that being a pureblood meant one should feel prejudiced towards Muggles or wizards from Muggle families.

"And so the Gryffindor sixth year prefects are Remus Lupin and Lily Evans," Dumbledore said, finishing up his explanation of prefects to Serena.

Serena nodded, then heard a knock on the door. "Professor?" a girl's voice called from outside.

Dumbledore opened the door, and a gorgeous redhead entered the room. "Serena, this is Lily Evans. Miss Evans, this is Serena Ashby. She is a new Gryffindor sixth year. I was hoping you could show her to your dorm before the feast."

"Of course, Professor," Lily said, looking at Serena politely but curiously.

Serena waved her wand and bewitched her trunk to float behind her as she followed Lily out of Dumbledore's office. "So," Lily said as they began walking down a long hallway. "What brings you to Hogwarts?"

"We just moved to England, and my brother thought it would be better if I attended school close to home," Serena said truthfully.

"You live with your brother?" Lily asked.

Serena nodded. "Both of my parents are dead," she said shortly, absent-mindedly fingering her pendant.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lily said, her big green eyes full of sympathy.

Serena shrugged. "So tell me about Gryffindor," she said, changing the subject.

Lily quickly launched into a litany of reasons of why Gryffindor was the best House to be a part of. Serena giggled over Lily's description of the "hard-working but not the brightest crayon in the box" Hufflepuffs and "smart but slightly nerdy" Ravenclaws.

"What about Slytherian?" Serena asked.

Lily sobered up a bit over this. "The Slytherians are…..they're mostly smart and powerful, to be sure. But….well…..every Dark wizard or witch that I know of had been in Slytherian."

"I see," said Serena.

And she did. The Slytherian house was full of the type of Dark and malicious wizards and witches that Serena hated with a passion.

Good thing that Hat hadn't suggested that she be put in Slytherian.

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"And then – " Sirius stopped.

He had been telling Remus, Peter, and James a highly entertaining story of his run-in with a very drunk Professor Flitwick at the Leaky Cauldron when he looked up and suddenly stopped talking, unable to remember what he was going to say. "James, have you been holding out on me?"

"What are you talking about?" James asked, frowning, as his brown eyes followed Sirius' gaze.

Remus and Peter looked, too, and suddenly the boys knew why Sirius had stopped talking. James' girlfriend, Lily Evans, was walking over to the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, talking and laughing with another beautiful girl – a blond. None of the Marauders had ever seen her before.

"I don't know who that is," James said to Sirius.

"Wow," Peter breathed.

"Nice," Sirius said. "I call dibs."

Remus rolled his eyes. Sirius saw the action and grinned. "Aw, come on, Moony. Besides, she's much more my type than yours."

"And how is that?" Remus asked, looking amused.

"Well, I happen to make a habit of dating – "

"You mean snogging," Peter interjected.

James snorted a laugh. " – beautiful girls," Sirius continued, as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"Hey Padfoot, has it ever occurred to you that she may not be interested?" James asked.

Sirius gave him his trademark grin, his black hair that was just a little too long falling rakishly over one chocolate brown eye. "Nope."

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"This is our table, the Gryffindor table," Lily said to Serena.

Serena was glad they had finally reached it. She had felt like everyone was staring at her when she and Lily entered the Hall. Lily had led her to the end of the Gryffindor table, where a group of girls that looked to be Lily and Serena's age were sitting. "Girls, this is Serena Ashby. She's a new Gryffindor sixth year," she said to them. "Serena, these are my friends, the other sixth year Gryffindor girls that we'll be sharing a dorm with."

Lily introduced them to Serena one by one. "This is Alice Prewitt," she said, and a pretty girl with curly blond hair and brown eyes smiled a shy hello.

"And this is Madison Kepler – " a wavy-haired brunette with brown eyes waved " – Rosalind Harper – "

"Please, call me Rosie," a girl with jet-black hair and blue eyes said.

"And this is Isabelle Spencer," she said, indicating the last girl, a brunette with hazel eyes.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Serena said, hoping that she would remember all of their names.

Madison laughed, as if she could read Serena's thoughts. "I'm sure you've had a lot thrown at you, don't worry if you don't remember everyone's names all at once!"

Serena laughed as well, and the girls quickly fell into conversation. "Lily, why aren't you sitting with James? He keeps glaring over here," Isabelle said.

"Aw, poor James must feel all abandoned!" Rosie cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Lily rolled her eyes. "This is Serena's first day here! I couldn't subject her to the Marauders already. James is a big boy."

"The Marauders? Who's James?" Serena asked.

It was always so hard to start over. She felt like she would never catch up on the social aspects of school. "James is Lily's boyfriend," Rosie said with a grin. "He finally wore her down, and they started dating last year."

"Wore her down?" Serena asked, confused.

"Oh, yes. James has had a thing for Lily for ages, but Lily absolutely hated him!" Alice exclaimed delightedly.

"Alice!" Lily said. "I didn't _hate_ him!"

"Yes you did!" Madison piped in, laughing. "Oh, Serena, it was the classic love/hate relationship. Lily would always complain about James, about how he drove her nuts – "

"He still does, usually," Lily interjected moodily.

" – but they finally started dating, and now they're just so happy and in loooooove!" Isabelle said, finishing the story.

Lily buried her face in her hands.

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"What do you think they're talking about?" Peter asked his fellow Marauders.

The new girl had said something, and then all the other girls had started talking and laughing – except for Lily, who had just put her face in her hands. Sirius grinned. "They're probably talking about you, mate," he said to James.

"Me?" James asked, looking apprehensive.

"What else could make them laugh so hard?" Remus asked.

James punched him in the arm.

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"So who are the Marauders?" Serena asked once she and the rest of the girls had stopped laughing.

"The ultimate pranksters," Isabelle said.

"All they do is play jokes on other people and get into trouble," Alice said.

"Sounds like my kind of people," Serena said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Oh, no, don't let them know that, then they'll never leave you alone!" Rosie said, laughing.

"James is one of them," Lily admitted. "There are four in all. Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, my boyfriend, James Potter, and his best friend, Sirius – "

"Who is the sexiest guy here," Madison added.

Lily grinned. "Well, that's a matter of opinion, isn't it?"

The two girls set about debating as to who was sexier, James or Sirius, when an extremely tall man led a bunch of scared-looking kids to the front of the room. "Who's that?" Serena whispered.

"That's Hagrid, the gamekeeper," Madison whispered back.

"He looks…..fierce," Serena said.

"Oh, he's not, he's a sweetheart," Alice said, her blue eyes wide. "Really, he's the nicest man."

"Sssh, the Sorting's about to start!" Rosie whispered.

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After dinner, the girls stood up and found themselves facing the Marauders. "Hello, boys," Madison said, smiling flirtatiously.

"Hello Maddie," Peter squeaked.

Remus smiled a hello at the girls. Serena, who was standing off to the side, took this moment to study the infamous Marauders. It was rather easy to tell who was who, based on what she had heard her fellow Gryffindor girls say about them.

The one who was kissing Lily was obviously James. Lily had been right; James _was_ good-looking. And as he and Lily looked at each other, clearly in love, Serena couldn't help but smile. The shorter, fatter one had to be Peter. The thin, light-haired boy was Remus. Serena could see the intelligence in his eyes, and sensed that here was a very kind, very smart young man.

She turned her head to look at Sirius, and was disconcerted to find that he was already staring at her. When her eyes met his, he lifted a brow and grinned. _Oh, wow. Merlin's beard, that is one fine-looking wizard._ She could actually feel her knees go weak when he smiled at her._ Oh, this cannot be good. He is way too sexy – and he most definitely knows it._

Serena stuck out her hand. "Hi. I'm Serena Ashby."

If Sirius was surprised that she had taken the initiative, he didn't show it. He smiled and took her hand almost lazily. "Sirius Black."

_Black? Black! Oh, I know that name……_ Serena thought with distaste. Any interest she had in Sirius quickly went out.

There was silence for a moment, and Sirius thought he saw a flicker of……something in Serena's eyes. Her expression remained unchanged, but she pulled her hand away from his. "Serena is a new sixth year Gryffindor," Alice told the Marauders.

"This is James Potter," Lily said hastily, pulling away from James.

He wrapped one arm around Lily, keeping her close to him, and stuck out his other hand to shake Serena's. "Nice to meet you," he said, eyeing her with no little amount of curiosity.

"And you," Serena said politely with a smile.

Lily continued. "This is Remus Lupin, and this is Peter Pettigrew."

Introductions made, James and Lily led the way to the Gryffindor common room. "So where are you from?" Remus asked, falling into step next to Serena.

"Britain, originally. We moved to America when I was eight, then moved back to Europe when I was thirteen."

Serena was thankful that Remus didn't press for more information. She hated explaining the details of her life with others, no matter how nice they seemed. "You'll like it here," Remus said to her. "What's your first class tomorrow?"

"Um…." Serena wracked her brain, trying to think. "Transfiguration, I think."

"Me too. I'll save you a seat."

Serena smiled. "Thanks, that sounds great."

Remus turned his head slightly and smiled at a glaring Sirius.

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The next morning, Serena sat next to Remus in Transfiguration, and found Madison, Sirius, James, Lily, and Peter there as well. Professor McGonagall was the teacher and although she hadn't stopped talking since they had entered the classroom, Serena didn't take very many notes. She was extremely good at Transfiguration. Her father and uncle had made Serena and her brother Al study Transfiguration every day, and eventually Serena, Al, and their father had all become illegal Animagi. Her father and her uncle had thought it a necessary disguise.

In hindsight, Serena realized that her father knew that Voldemort and his supporters were hunting them, and was trying to give his children tools to survive. _Of course, it didn't help Daddy any_, Serena thought. _Voldemort got to him anyway._

But right before her father had died, when Serena was thirteen and Al was seventeen, they had managed it. Al could change into a black raven, and Serena could change into a gray cat.

"Miss Ashby," Professor McGonagall's voice boomed out, startling Serena out of her thoughts.

Serena sat up straight and raised an eyebrow at the professor. "Yes, Professor?" she asked coolly.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sirius smirking, and for some reason this infuriated Serena. "We were just discussing the ways of changing a desk into a teacup. Perhaps you can contribute to our conversation?"

She heard a muffled snicker and just _knew_ that it was Sirius who made the noise. She flicked a glare at him over her shoulder, then waved her wand and muttered an incantation. Suddenly Professor McGonagall's desk was a teacup. Serena paused a moment, then waved her wand again and the class was looking at a desk once more.

Serena heard applause, and saw James, Lily, Peter, and Madison grinning at her. Professor McGonagall stared at her for a moment before turning and continuing with her lecture. _I probably shouldn't have done that,_ Serena thought. _I don't want people to ask questions._

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Remus whispered.

Serena shrugged. "I just picked it up," she whispered back.

Despite herself, Serena found herself looking at Sirius to judge his reaction. When she made eye contact, he winked at her. Furious with herself, she quickly turned away.

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Almost a week later, Serena awoke with a feeling of dread. Today was her first time attending Herbology class and, truth be told, she was perfectly terrible at Herbology. Her brother and uncle had insisted that she take it, so she had acquiesced.

She rolled over onto her stomach. It was still early; she didn't have to get out of bed yet. Instead, she thought back over her first week at Hogwarts, running her pendant through her fingers as she did so.

She and her roommates were already becoming fast friends. Isabelle – or Izzy, as Serena had begun to call her – Rosie, Alice, and Madison were all great girls. She and Lily, however, seemed to be forming a special bond. Serena was sure that they were fast on the way to becoming best friends, which made Serena extremely happy. She had never had a best friend before; she had never clicked with anyone so easily.

Lily's boyfriend, James, was becoming a friend as well. He was a bit too arrogant at times, but Lily was always around to take him down a peg. He was funny and always full of ideas for trouble, which delighted Serena, who loved to hear all his wild plans. James, of course, was only too happy to fill her in.

She liked Remus and Peter as well. If Peter wasn't a part of the Marauders Serena doubted she would have sought him out as a friend, but he seemed nice enough. Remus was kind but he also had a latent streak of mischief that surprised Serena every time it came to the surface.

And then, of course, there was Sirius. Serena had been careful to avoid him as much as she could all week, although she knew she had slipped in Transfiguration. She couldn't believe it. Sirius Black. Black. As in the Black family, a known family of Dark wizards. Supporters of Voldemort – for all she knew, the Blacks could have been the ones who killed her mother, then tracked the Ashbys to America and killed her father. She knew Voldemort had been her parent's murderers, her uncle had admitted that much to her, and she had overheard her brother and uncle talking late one night. They had said that Voldemort himself might not have killed her parents, but directed one of his "supporters" to do so.

Serena was no fool. Her brother had moved them back to Europe after her father's death because he was going to track down their parents' murderers and seek revenge. Serena didn't see anything wrong with this line of thinking; in fact, she wanted to help.

So really, it was better that she stayed away from Sirius Black. Or else she might kill him.

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"So what do you guys think of Serena?" James asked his fellow Marauders at breakfast that morning.

Sirius frowned. "There's something weird going on with her. She was totally normal, and then ever since she heard my name she starts ignoring me. What's with that?"

Remus shrugged. "I like her."

"Me too," Peter said.

James grinned at Sirius. "You just don't like her because she's not throwing herself at your feet."

Sirius scowled.

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That morning Serena and her fellow Gryffindors had Herbology, along with the Hufflepuffs. Sirius, James, Lily, Serena, and Alice all took it together. "Look," Alice whispered to Serena. "Amos Diggory."

Amos Diggory was considered a major catch. While James and Sirius were attractive because of their good looks combined with a certain bad boy appeal, Amos was the opposite. He was the Prince Charming that girls dreamed about, the one they could take home and Mom would just adore him.

"I'm definitely looking," Serena whispered back, and the two girls started giggling.

James and Lily looked at them questioningly, while Sirius, who had overheard, glared. Serena snuck a glance at Amos, and found him looking at her. He gave her a smile, and she smiled in return before looking away. This time, Lily understood what was going on, and she, Alice, and Serena proceeded to whisper and giggle over Amos and what his smiling at Serena meant while James and Sirius grew increasingly annoyed.

After class, Amos came up to Serena as she was walking across the lawn. "Hi, I'm Amos Diggory," he said.

She smiled at him. "Serena Ashby."

Out of the corner of her eye, Serena saw Lily and Alice drag James and Sirius away so that Amos and Serena could talk privately. He fell into step beside her. "So how is your first week going?" he asked.

Serena smiled. "Fine so far. I'm just glad I got through Herbology today, it's definitely my worst subject."

"Really? Let me know if you need any help, I can give you a hand."

"That would be great. I'll definitely take you up on that," Serena said.

They walked up the steps to the school, parting ways in the hall. Serena was headed towards Potions, while Amos was going to Charms. She hurried along towards the dungeon, looking down, when she suddenly walked right into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized.

She looked up and saw a dark-haired…..well, boy didn't seem the right way to describe him. Something about him…..when she saw him, Serena saw a man, not a boy. She felt uncomfortable with the way his dark eyes made their way up and down her body. "Um – I'm sorry," she offered again. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

He finally looked at her face, and Serena had to suppress a shudder. His eyes were dark and glittering, and a voice inside Serena screamed "RUN!"

_Don't be ridiculous,_ she told the voice. _He's just a fellow student._

"Who are you?" he asked her.

It was the first time he had spoken, and his voice was low and harsh. Serena blinked. "I'm a new student. Serena."

He looked at her for a moment longer before turning and walking away. Serena stood where he had left her, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to ward off the chill that had settled over her. She fingered her pendant nervously. She didn't know who that had been, but she was definitely glad he had gone.

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The next week, as Charms finished up, Serena made her way down to the Great Hall with Lily, James, Madison, Alice, and Sirius. Remus, Peter, and Rosie had had Charms with them as well, but Serena didn't know where they had gone to. Happy to leave Madison to flirt with Sirius, Serena and Alice followed more slowly behind their friends. "So tell me about it," Alice was saying to Serena.

Serena smiled. "Okay. I'm perfectly awful at Herbology and when I told Amos that, he offered to help me out, and so yesterday afternoon was our first tutoring session."

"Sure, tutoring," Alice said with a grin.

Serena hit her arm lightly. "No, really, we were! Well, we were talking, too…..he's just so sweet, isn't he?"

"And good-looking," Alice added.

Serena laughed. "Well, there is that."

The girls giggled, sitting down at their usual spots at the Gryffindor table, when an owl swooped in and came down to Serena. "Who's it from?" James asked as Serena took the note from the owl's leg.

"I don't know, I don't recognize the owl," Serena said.

She opened the note and saw the familiar handwriting of her brother Al. _He must have gotten a new owl_, Serena thought fleetingly before eagerly reading the letter.

**Hey sis – **

**How's school? I've already gotten an owl from Professor McGonagall about you – she wanted to praise your Transfiguration skills to me. What'd you do, anyway? Change right in front of her? Kidding, kidding, I know you wouldn't do that.**

**I wanted you to know that I'm getting closer to finding out who to seek revenge on. I don't want to say too much here, I'll tell you when you come home for Christmas. Now I know you're going to start worrying about me, but don't. Uncle won't let anything happen to me.**

**There are some kids from suspicious families attending your school. Watch out for anyone with the last name of Lestrange, Snape, Black, Wilkes, or Rosier. There might be more, but those are the only ones I know of right now.**

**Write back soon, kid, so that I know you're doing all right.**

**- Al**

Serena smiled. Her brother was all she had left, and she loved him so. Al was kind, smart, brave – everything Serena aspired to be. She was worried about him, of course, but her uncle would keep him safe. Lost in her thoughts, and not noticing the questioning glances her friends aimed her way, Serena hurried back up to her room to write her brother a reply.

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_**Author's Note:**_** Review! Review, review, review! Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with sugar on top? I hope you like this story so far. I already have the very last chapter written, so don't worry, I know where this story is going. It's definitely going somewhere good – in my opinion, at least.**


	3. Those Damn Blacks

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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A few weeks later, Serena was running late to Potions. She had received another letter from her brother and had hurried to write him a response instead of getting to class like she should have.

Serena wrinkled her nose. She didn't really like her Potions class. The Gryffindors had it with the Slytherians, who lived up to their reputations. Madison and Lily had told her that there was a fierce animosity between the Gryffindor and Slytherian houses, and Alice had told her that the Slytherians and the Marauders shared a particular hatred of each other. Serena had found this strange; after all, wasn't the evil bitch Bellatrix Black Sirius' cousin? Al had told her that the Black family was made up of Dark wizards, and Bellatrix certainly fit the bill. So why would Sirius hate his cousin? Serena didn't know, but she also didn't plan on asking anybody. Sirius Black was already on her mind much more than he should be.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your tardiness, Miss Ashby," Professor Slughorn said as Serena entered the dungeon.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Serena said.

Truth be told, she _wasn't_ sorry. She disliked Professor Slughorn as well. He had what James and Remus referred to as the 'Slug Club', where he chose his favorite students and invited them up for a special dinner or something of the like. Serena, James, and Madison all had a good time making fun of Lily, who was a part of the Slug Club. Lily had defended herself by saying that he could help her find a good job at the Ministry when she graduated Hogwarts, but that didn't deter her friends from laughing at her.

Serena hadn't told anyone, but Professor Slughorn had actually asked her if she wanted to join his little club. She had turned him down, and it must have insulted him because he now behaved very coolly towards her. Serena, however, didn't care. She would never willingly fraternize with the Head of the Slytherian House.

"Take a seat next to Mr. Black, Miss Ashby," Professor Slughorn instructed her.

_Oh, no. No, no, no,_ Serena thought frantically.

Sure enough, Lily was sitting with James and Isabelle was sitting with Frank Longbottom, another Gryffindor sixth year. Seeing no other alternative, Serena reluctantly made her way towards Sirius' table.

_Aw, shit._

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As Professor Slughorn droned on and on, Sirius looked at Serena out of the corner of his eye. What did he ever do to her, anyway? They hung out with the same people, yet she always managed to avoid coming into any contact with him. When the teacher had told her she had to sit next to him, he had seen her eyes darting around, looking for a way out.

Sirius scowled. Sure, plenty of people disliked him – and he disliked plenty of people – but this girl didn't even know him. What was her problem?

"All right, class, get to work," Professor Slughorn said, concluding his lecture.

As they measured and chopped ingredients, Sirius decided to talk to Serena. He was never one to avoid confrontation.

"So what's your problem?" he asked abruptly.

Serena looked up from her chopping momentarily, then looked back down at the roots she was cutting into tiny pieces. "I don't have a problem, thanks," she said coolly.

Sirius glared at her. "Yes you bloody well do," he said. "Why are you such a bitch all the time? What'd I ever do to you?"

He could tell she was getting angry by the way she was pounding on the now nonexistent roots, but she stubbornly remained silent. "Goddamn it, Ashbury, you're a – "

"What's the matter?" a sickeningly sweet voice cooed. "Are you two having a little lovers' spat?"

Sirius and Serena both looked up and found Bellatrix Black standing in front of their table. Her heavy, lidded eyes gleamed with malice. "Shut up, Bella," Sirius snapped.

Bellatrix focused on her cousin. "Now, now, cousin, that's no way to speak to – "

"Bellatrix, it looks like your cauldron is leaking," Serena interrupted sweetly. "Maybe you should go give Rosier a hand."

Bellatrix looked behind her, and sure enough, Rosier was yelping as Bellatrix's potion seeped onto his arm. "Ow! Bellatrix, what the hell did you do to it?" Rosier barked.

Bellatrix glared at Serena before hurrying back over to her table. Pleased with herself, Serena dumped her extremely finely chopped roots into her cauldron. "Nice," Sirius said to her, sounding amused.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion," Serena snapped out.

"Merlin's beard, Ashby, are you always this bitchy or is it just that time of the month?"

Sirius could practically see the steam coming out of Serena's ears at this comment. "Shut the bloody hell up," Serena hissed at him.

"Oh, wait, are you talking to me now?"

Sirius knew he was infuriating Serena, but he didn't care. In fact, it felt good. Just what was this girl's problem, anyway? Although he did have to give her points for what she did to Bellatrix's cauldron, she had then turned around and been just as mean to him.

To his surprise, Serena stopped hissing furiously at him. In fact, she remained stonily silent for the rest of the period. When class ended, she raced out of the classroom so fast Sirius had no chance to antagonize her further.

He might have thought Serena was gorgeous, but there was no way in hell he was going to pursue his initial attraction. This girl was a major bitch.

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Serena did not feel like talking to anyone. She had gone straight outside after Potions, and once she was out of sight of the castle, she transformed into a gray cat. Now she could wander and think without anyone bothering her.

And she certainly had a lot to think about – or rather, to fume about. _Can't Sirius take a hint? I. Don't. Like. Him. Why does he insist on pushing the subject? How can I make myself any clearer? I would love it if he took a long walk off a short pier. And he can take his cousin with him._

_There is something strange about that, though. I still don't understand why Sirius and Bellatrix seem to hate each other so much. Bellatrix seems to get along fine with his younger brother, Regalus. There's something not quite right there._

_Ugh. I cannot believe I'm spending this much time thinking about the Blacks. The people whose parents were probably the ones who killed my parents._

_Hopefully Sirius will just leave me the hell alone._

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"So you don't know either?"

"No, she's disappeared and I haven't gotten a chance to ask her."

James and Lily were sitting next to each other on a couch in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius had told James what had happened in Potions, and James had asked Lily if she knew why Serena disliked Sirius so much. Lily had no idea; Serena had never said anything about it to her.

"Although now that I think about it, whenever the big group of us is together, she kind of does avoid Sirius, doesn't she," Lily said, thinking out loud.

James shrugged. "It's weird, though. I mean, Serena's so nice to everyone. Well, almost everyone," he said.

"I know. Did Sirius hit on her? Maybe she's just really sensitive."

James grinned. "Well, I'm sure he did, but trust me, he has no interest in pursuing it anymore."

This time Lily shrugged. "Just as well. Serena's going to Hogsmeade with Amos Diggory next weekend."

"Is she, now?" James asked, sounding irritated.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Please, not this again."

James and Sirius had an unnatural dislike of Amos Diggory. Amos was perfectly nice, and they knew it. He was Hufflepuff's Quidditch Captain, like James was the Captain for the Gryffindor team. And he, James, and Sirius were the hottest guys in school, as they all knew. Amos was much too nice to say anything about it, but James and Sirius considered him to be the competition for hottest guy status and for how many girls they could get.

"Besides," Lily continued sweetly, "Why do you care if other girls think Amos is hotter than you?"

"I-I don't," James said, sensing trouble.

He put an arm around Lily, pulling her into his lap. "You're the only one who matters."

Lily smiled. "Good. You're in luck, then, because I think you are definitely hotter than Amos. And Sirius."

James grinned arrogantly. "Oh yeah?"

"Well……maybe not hotter than Sirius," Lily said, a teasing glint in her eye.

She shrieked as James rolled over and pinned Lily beneath him, tickling her as she laughed hysterically. "No! I – can't – stop – laughing!" she said breathlessly between giggles.

"I hate to break this up," a voice said loudly. "But we've got Quidditch practice, Captain."

James looked up and saw Sirius standing next to the couch, arms crossed, looking amused. He gave Lily a quick peck on the lips, rolled off of her, and said, "See you later," before heading off with Sirius.

He tossed a glance over his shoulder and saw she had sat up and was looking furious with the way he had just left. Sirius looked back as well. "She looks right angry, mate," he said.

James grinned. "Yeah. I love making her angry."

Sirius looked at him as if he were crazy. "What? I've seen Lily angry. Why would anyone want that punishment inflicted upon himself?"

James laughed. "I know, now that she doesn't hate me and yell at me all the time, why would I want to make her yell at me again? I have no idea. I just can't help myself."

Sirius grinned. "And I bet the making up's pretty good."

James grinned back.

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A few days later, Serena awoke to someone shaking her. "Go away," she muttered.

"Serena, wake up," came a voice.

"Shut the bloody hell up," Serena moaned.

"Come on, Serena, it's – ow! She just hit me!"

Serena blearily opened her eyes and saw Lily and Madison standing next to her bed. Along with Isabelle, Alice, and Rosie, they pulled her into the bathroom and started the shower. Hearing Serena's screech, the girls smiled at each other.

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Later that morning, Serena and the rest of the Gryffindor girls made their way down to the Great Hall. Today was Gryffindor's first Quidditch match. They were playing against Ravenclaw, and James, Sirius, and Madison were all on the team. James, besides being the captain, was a Chaser. Sirius was a Beater, and Madison was the Seeker.

Once they reached the table, Madison went to sit with James, Sirius, and the rest of the Gryffindor team so that James could talk strategy and make them all eat something before the match. Serena felt her excitement building. She loved watching Quidditch.

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Soon after that, Serena made her way down to the Quidditch pitch accompanied by Lily, Remus, Peter, Isabelle, and Rosie. Serena looked around for Alice, but she didn't see her anywhere.

She screamed and cheered along with her fellow Gryffindors as the Gryffindor team, led by James, flew to victory. James and the other two Chasers were a seamless team, throwing the Quaffle back and forth and scoring one hundred points in all. Sirius and the other Beater worked relentlessly against the Bludger, and Serena had the fleeting thought that Sirius was made to be a Beater since he liked lashing out at things all the time. Finally Madison dove, and emerged clutching the Snitch in her hand. The crowd went wild, and Lily ran down to give James a victory kiss.

Serena followed Remus down to the pitch to congratulate Madison, and since a crowd of girls had swarmed Sirius, she didn't have to worry about having to talk to him. "Great job, Maddie!" Serena said with a smile.

"Thanks!" Madison said, clearly excited and still running on adrenaline.

Serena, Lily, and Remus stayed down talking to James and Madison for awhile, then headed back towards the castle while the team hit the showers. As the three friends excitedly rehashed the match, Serena felt herself trip on the stairs and fall into someone. "Serena, are you all right?" Remus asked.

He sounded concerned. Serena looked up to reassure him and found herself facing the mysterious stranger she had run into in the Potions corridor a month ago. This time, however, he wasn't alone. Bellatrix Black was with him. "Watch where you're going, you blood traitor," Bellatrix spat as Lily and Remus helped Serena up.

The stranger, however, was staring at Serena. At first she thought he was staring at her chest, but then she realized that it was her pendant he was looking at. Wondering at his fascination with it, she quickly stuffed it under her robes. "Sorry again," Serena apologized.

This man may creep her out, but Serena was determined to at least be polite. Bellatrix, Remus, and Lily all looked surprised that Serena had already met him. He smiled malevolently at her. "What's your last name, Serena?" he demanded.

Serena tilted her head at him. "What's yours?"

He laughed, and the guttural sound made chills run up Serena's back. "Lestrange. Rodolphus Lestrange."

_Lestrange! Another name Al warned me about. _Serena hesitated to tell Rodolphus her name, and Bellatrix jumped in. "This is Serena Ashby. New Gryffindor. She's a friend of my cousin's," Bellatrix sneered.

"I am not a friend of your cousin's," Serena snapped.

"Serena!" Lily said, appalled by the venom in her friend's voice.

But Bellatrix just laughed. Her laugh was no better than that of Rodolphus. "Shut up, Mudblood," she said derisively.

Remus put a hand on his wand, and Serena leapt to Lily's defense. "Don't you say that to her," Serena said angrily.

But Bellatrix just laughed again, and this time Rodolphus joined in. "Soon Lord Voldemort will purge the wizarding race of filth like you three. Mudblood and blood traitors," Rodolphus said in a maniacal tone.

It was evident that he believed completely in what he was saying. Serena knew then that he was just as cruel and crazy as Bellatrix was. They were made for each other. Rodolphus made to pull out his wand, but Remus was quicker. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted.

Rodolphus' wand flew into Remus' hand. "You won't be needing this," Remus growled.

Serena, Lily, and Remus started walking away from Rodolphus, who was fuming silently, and Bellatrix, who didn't dare make a move in fear of further angering him. As they rounded the corner, Remus threw the wand back towards the pair. "You'll pay for this!" Bellatrix screamed after them. "No one embarrasses us and gets away with it!"

Exchanging a look, Lily, Serena, and Remus hurried towards the Gryffindor common room.

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"No. Absolutely not."

Remus, Lily, and Serena were sitting in a corner of the common room and debating in whispers over what to do about Rodolphus and Bellatrix. "Lily, listen to reason. Rodolphus and Bellatrix are mad, you know it as well as I do. If they've decided that they're going to get back at us, they will. They'll plan it out and we – "

"We are not telling anybody, especially James," Lily said.

Remus ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sure he'll find out somehow! Come on, Lily, how would you like it if someone threatened him and he didn't tell you?"

Lily scowled at Remus and crossed her arms. "I'll think about it," she said grudgingly.

Remus smiled in relief. "Good."

"But what can they do to us?" Serena asked. "They're just fellow students."

Remus and Lily both frowned. "Look, Serena, I know you're new here, but Bellatrix and Lestrange are crazy. If they're not – " here Remus lowered his voice even more " – Death Eaters yet, then they certainly will be by the time they graduate. You don't want to mess with them."

"Death Eaters?" Serena asked.

"That's what Voldemort's supporters call themselves now. Haven't you heard? When someone is killed or disappears, they leave a sign in smoke over the house called the Dark Mark. Voldemort himself doesn't do most of the killings – he sends his loyal Death Eaters."

Serena felt sick. "I didn't know," she whispered. "I didn't know they were getting so…..strong."

Remus put an arm around her comfortingly. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay."

"How do you know?" Serena asked.

Lily answered for him. "Because it has to be."

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James and Sirius burst into the common room, and stopped to look around. Spotting Lily, Remus, and Serena huddled together looking serious, they exchanged a puzzled look before heading over. Sirius frowned slightly at Serena, who was still leaning against Remus, and James frowned at Lily. "What's the matter?" he asked, sitting down next to her and putting an arm around her.

"Nothing," Lily answered quickly.

Remus cleared his throat, and Lily scowled at him. "Oh, all right. It's no big deal. The three of us just ran into Lestrange and Bellatrix on our way back from the Quidditch field."

This time it was Sirius who scowled. "And just what did my dear cousin do this time?"

"They didn't do anything to us," Serena said, as James' expression had gone considerably darker by now and Serena figured Lily could use all the help she could get.

"But they did threaten us, and I think we need to be on the lookout for awhile," Remus added.

Both girls scowled at him. "We'll be fine," Lily said.

"Fine? You call having those two maniacs after you 'fine'?" James asked, his voice rising.

"Keep your voice down," Serena said, sounding irritated.

She got up. "I'll see you guys later."

She hurried away to write a letter to her brother. Maybe he could tell her more about the Blacks and the Lestranges. Serena heard footsteps behind her, and she whirled to find Sirius. "What are you doing?" she asked, disconcerted to find him standing there.

She and Sirius hadn't spoken since their argument in Potions a week ago. "You just finished telling us that my nutty cousin and her equally nutty boyfriend are after you, and then you run off to go somewhere by yourself? Are you stupid? You're unprotected. What's the matter with you?"

"I don't need a bodyguard, thanks," Serena said, quickening her pace.

"Fine. I'll just entertain you with my sparkling wit, then."

"Oh, bugger off. Aren't your groupies waiting for you?"

Sirius shrugged. "I can snog girls anytime I like. They'll be there when I get back."

For some reason this infuriated Serena all the more. "Good for you. Since I'm sure they're breathlessly awaiting your arrival, why don't you go on back to them?"

Sirius glared at her. "I'm staying," he repeated. "You don't know my cousin."

Serena stopped walking. She was fed up. "Yes, I do! She's a Black, just like you, and believe me, I know all about _your_ family," Serena said bitterly.

Sirius froze. Serena could almost swear that she saw deep hurt in his eyes, but just then someone called out her name. "Serena!"

Serena turned, and found Amos Diggory walking towards her. "What's going on?" he asked, looking between her and Sirius.

Serena turned her back on Sirius. "Nothing," Serena said with a smile, and she and Amos walked off down the hall.

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The next day, James and Lily were sitting in the common room quietly talking when they saw Serena come down. James nudged Lily. "Your turn," he said.

After Sirius had run after Serena the previous afternoon, he had come back in one of his moods. He snapped at everyone and had refused to tell James what was eating at him. James had told Lily, who said that Serena had seemed quieter than usual. They had decided that since Sirius wasn't talking, maybe Serena would.

"James, I don't know," Lily said, looking at Serena apprehensively. "Maybe she wants to be left alone. I haven't been friends with her that long."

"Come on, Lil," James pleaded. "Serena and Sirius have to at least be civil towards each other. We hang out with the same people. It'll be awkward if they're always fighting."

Lily sighed. "Oh, all right."

She got and made her way towards Serena. "Serena, can I talk to you?" she asked.

Serena was halfway out of the portrait hole when Lily asked this. "Uh, sure," Serena said, sounding suspicious.

The two girls made their way out into the hallway. "It's about Sirius," Lily began.

Serena pressed her lips together, not saying anything. Lily hurriedly continued. "Is there anything you want to talk about? I mean, sure, Sirius can be cocky and irritating at times, but he's basically a good guy, really. I don't know what he did to get on your bad side, but – "

Serena interrupted. "Lily, I know you want us to get along because otherwise you and James and everyone else are put in the middle, but I-I just can't."

Her eyes pleaded with Lily to understand. "But why?" Lily asked.

Serena started playing with her pendant, her thoughts whirling. _Al warned me about the Blacks. I hate Dark wizards. I hate them. But Lily's……she's the closest thing I have to a best friend. Madison, Rosie, James, Remus, Alice, Izzy, Peter……they're all friends. But they've been friends with Sirius longer. I don't want to lose them._

"Look, Lily……" Serena hesitated, then took the plunge. "Your friendship is important to me. And I know – " here Serena sighed. "I know that Sirius is your friend. I'll be civil to him, all right? I promise."

Lily looked disappointed that Serena hadn't told her why she disliked Sirius so much in the first place, but she nodded nevertheless. At least Serena would be civil. Now if only Sirius would do the same.

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A few days later, James figured it was safe to talk to Sirius about Serena. Lily had told him that Serena had promised to be civil, and Sirius didn't seem to be in such a bad mood anymore. The Hogsmeade trip was coming up, and that would lift anyone's spirits.

"Hey Padfoot, can I talk to you for a minute?"

James had come into his room and found Sirius already in there, lying on his bed and looking at a broom catalogue. "Sure, Prongs, what's up?"

"It's about Serena," he began.

Sirius frowned a little, but he didn't say anything. "Look, I know you two haven't exactly gotten along," James said. "But can you at least be civil? She – "

"Me? Me, be civil?" Sirius said, growing angry. "It's not my fault! _She's_ the one who hates me. I never did anything to her."

"I know," James said, trying to make his voice reassuring. "I know you didn't. But she's promised to be civil, and if you would do the same, it would make things easier for the rest of us. We like both of you, you know."

Sirius scowled, putting the broom catalogue in front of his face. "Fine."

James sat down. "So what're you doing in Hogsmeade?" he asked.

"Meeting some people there," Sirius said, not looking up from the magazine.

"I heard you're meeting two different girls there."

Actually, James had heard that Sirius was meeting four different girls there, but he knew that lowering the number would cause Sirius to want to brag and therefore talk to James. "Two?" Sirius scoffed. "I have four – er – dates."

"Dates?" James asked with a knowing smirk.

Sirius grinned.

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Two days later, the day dawned bright and cool. Halloween was coming up, and Serena was looking forward to seeing Zonko's, the joke shop Lily and the other girls had told her about. _Everyone loves a good Halloween prank,_ Serena reasoned with a mischievous grin.

She, James, Lily, Peter, Sirius, Madison, Alice, Rosie, and Isabelle all left together. "Where's Remus?" Serena asked.

"In the hospital wing," James replied. "He was feeling sick."

"Is he all right?" Serena asked.

"Oh, he'll be fine," Sirius said.

Once they reached Hogsmeade, they split up. Sirius went off to meet his first "date"; Peter left for Zonko's; Alice went off on her own, muttering something about Hog's Head; James and Lily left for the Three Broomsticks; and Madison, Rosie, and Isabelle decided to accompany Serena to Honeyduke's, where she was meeting Amos.

"I can't believe you're meeting Amos Diggory," Rosie said, putting a hand to her forehead and pretending to swoon.

Serena smiled, shaking her head. "Yeah, you're so lucky. He would never go out with someone like me," Isabelle added.

"Of course he would, Izzy," Serena said loyally. "You're a great witch."

Madison opened the door and herded the others into Honeyduke's. It was crowded, and Serena was much too short to see Amos in the crowd. Madison, who was taller, looked around. "I don't see him," she said, still looking.

Then, "Aha! There he is!" she said, pointing towards the back of the store.

Madison, Rosie, and Isabelle all nudged Serena forward. "Have fun!" they said, smiling.

Serena left her friends behind and started making her way over in the direction Madison had pointed. Soon she saw Amos, and he turned and saw her as well. He smiled as she came over and gave her a hug. "Hi Serena," he said.

She returned his smile. "Hi Amos."

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An hour or so later, Serena and Amos made their way to the Three Broomsticks. Amos had taken her to Zonko's, and had laughed at Serena's delight. She had filled her pockets with the tricks, and she and Amos had finally left, strolling hand in hand. Serena sat down at a table, and spotted James and Lily making out in the corner. Amos returned with two flagons of butterbeer. "What is this?" Serena asked, taking a sip.

"Butterbeer. Don't tell me you've never had it?"

Amos looked so shocked that Serena had to smile. "No, they didn't have this in France."

"You lived in France?" Amos asked.

Serena suddenly became aware of how little she had told anyone about her past. _And I intend to keep it that way,_ she told herself firmly.

"For a while," she said, answering Amos' question.

She took another long swallow of butterbeer. "This is good," she said, smiling at Amos again.

He smiled back, then leaned forward to kiss her. Serena kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. It was a very nice kiss, and Serena was content to snog Amos Diggory for the rest of the Hogsmeade outing.

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_**Author's Note:**_** Review! Press the pretty little button on your left! **_**Accio reviews**_


	4. Death Eater Attack

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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Serena awoke Halloween morning to a feeling of excitement. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had been suspiciously absent of late, and Lily had said, with a roll of her eyes, it was because every year the Marauders planned a big Halloween prank. Serena had a few pranks of her own planned, and she moved about her room quietly. She replaced Madison's hair brush with one that would streak her friend's brown hair bright green and bewitched Lily's compact mirror so that when Lily looked in it, she would see a huge zit on her chin.

Smiling to herself, Serena quietly left the room. She had a few Dungbombs, which she threw up the boys' staircase before quickly exiting the Gryffindor common room so that no one would suspect her. Now grinning broadly, Serena made her way down to breakfast and was surprised, as well as a little disappointed, to find the Marauders down there already. "What are you doing up so early?" Serena and Remus asked each other at the same time.

Remus looked slightly embarrassed, and Serena looked like the cat who ate the canary. "Nothing," they both responded in unison.

Just then, a stream of Gryffindor boys came into the Great Hall, all of them glaring at the Marauders. "What's the matter with them?" Peter asked.

Serena shrugged innocently as James, Sirius, and Remus turned to look at her suspiciously. "I think a few dungbombs went off in the boys' corridor," she said. "Wasn't that one of your pranks?"

James flashed her a grin. "We would never do something that juvenile."

Serena glared.

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That night at the Halloween Feast, confetti suddenly started dropping from the ceiling. Pretty soon, it was a whirlwind. No one could see, and the sounds of ghosts moaning and bones creaking filled everyone's ears. Some of the first years cried out in terror, but the older students just laughed. "Nice one," Serena muttered to Remus, who was standing next to her, warding off confetti with his wand.

He grinned at her. "I had nothing to do with this."

After the feast was over, Serena hurried out and hid behind a statue. Once she saw the Marauders coming, laughing and congratulating each other on a prank well executed, she waved her wand, muttering an incantation, and suddenly they were covered in hot pink goo. Clapping her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing at the ridiculous sight that met her eyes, Serena remained hidden behind the statue. Peter was squawking, Remus was looking resigned, and James was laughing. Sirius, however, was looking around, and saw a flash of gold.

He strode over to the statue and dragged Serena out by the arm. "Ow! Ow!" Serena exclaimed breathlessly between giggles.

Sirius glared at her. "What's so funny, Ashby?" he growled at her.

Serena didn't even bother to cover her laughter. "Nothing, Pinky," she said, holding her stomach.

Sirius continued to glare, but as James, Remus, and Peter joined Serena in her laughter, he finally had to start laughing as well. As the Marauders did their best to clean themselves off, an owl flew up to Serena. Recognizing the owl as her brother's, she quickly untied the note and opened it. It contained an extremely short message:

**I'm okay. But go to Dumbledore.**

Serena felt her laughter evaporate. What had happened? Al said he was all right, but……Serena quickly whirled and headed for Dumbledore's office. She heard the Marauders calling after her, but she continued to hurry on, oblivious. Upon reaching Dumbledore's office, she knocked urgently and continually until he opened the door.

"Miss Ashby," he said. "News travels fast, I see."

"Is Al all right? What's happened? Why did he – "

Dumbledore held up a hand. "Your brother is fine, Miss Ashby. He and your uncle just got into a spot of trouble, that's all."

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Serena asked, her voice still frantic.

"They're all right. Your uncle was with your brother at the time of the attack. He did suffer some injury, and is currently being taken care of at St. Mungo's. Your brother is with him, but Al doesn't have a scratch on him."

Dumbledore's comforting voice helped calm Serena somewhat, but she still began fingering her pendant anxiously. Dumbledore's gaze focused on her necklace. "Where did you get that?" he asked her.

Serena hadn't even realized she had been holding her necklace. "From my father. My mother used to wear it," she said. "Why?"

Dumbledore didn't answer her question. He did, however, look as if everything now made sense. "What? What is it?" Serena asked.

But Dumbledore just smiled complacently. "Don't worry, Miss Ashby. Your uncle will be fine. He is a close friend of mine."

"Tell me about the attack, please, Professor," Serena requested.

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A little while later, Serena made her way back to the Gryffindor common room to find Lily, Alice, Madison, Rosie, Isabelle, and all of the Marauders sitting together as if they were waiting for someone. When they spotted Serena, they waved her over. Serena, wary of being questioned, reluctantly came over to them. "What's going on?" she asked tentatively.

"We could ask you the same thing," James said.

"Where did you run off to?" Remus asked, concerned.

Serena waved her hand dismissively. "It was nothing. I just overreacted."

James and Remus exchanged glances. Lily leaned forward. "Serena, we're your friends. You can talk to us. If something is bothering you – "

Serena couldn't help it. Her eyes filled with tears. She was touched that her friends cared. "Lily, you made her cry!" Peter whispered loudly.

James, Remus, and Sirius all eyed her warily. "No, it's okay. I'm just – I'm fine," Serena said, trying to reassure them.

Isabelle and Alice gave her a hug. "So what was it?" Madison asked.

For the first time in her life, Serena confided in someone that was not a family member. "It was a note from my brother telling me to go to Dumbledore's office. My uncle – well, it doesn't matter. My brother and my uncle are both okay."

Rosie looked horrified. "Was it another Death Eater attack?" she whispered.

Serena shrugged. "There was no Dark Mark, but the attackers did wear masks like the Death Eaters do. But my uncle's an Auror, and he and my brother fought them off. I don't think they were expecting much of a fight; my uncle wasn't supposed to be there."

Lily put an arm around Serena. "They're okay, that's all the matters," she said reassuringly.

Serena didn't tell her friends that Voldemort and his Death Eaters had been hunting her entire family for years. She didn't tell them that her parents had already been murdered and that she was now worried that the Dark Lord was after her and her brother as well. She kept quiet and allowed herself to draw whatever comfort she could from her friends.

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Almost a month later, Serena and Lily were running late to Charms. They ran down a long hallway and skidded around a corner before they noticed that they weren't alone.

Lestrange, Bellatrix, Rosier, and a greasy-haired fifth year Serena had learned was named Severus Snape were standing in front of the two girls. All four Slytherians had their wands out.

Serena and Lily came to a halt and cautiously backed up a step. Then, without saying a word, Bellatrix hurled a curse at Lily.

Lily and Serena ducked, dropped their books, and took out their wands. They dodged and deflected the curses and hexes the Slytherians threw at them, but some had gotten through. Serena felt like her arm was broken, and Lily was sporting a black eye. "We can't hold them off much longer," Lily told Serena urgently. "What are we going to do?"

Before Serena could answer, Lestrange had her up in the air, whirling around like a top before sending her crashing back down towards the ground. Serena hit her head and saw stars, but Lily couldn't help her; Bellatrix was coming down on her and had put a full body bind on Lily to prevent her from moving out of the way.

Feeling a horrible sense of dread coming down on her, Serena summoned her strength and screamed a curse she had learned at Durmstrang at Bellatrix. It hit her in the center of her back and she slid to the floor, unconscious.

As Lily got to her feet and continued battling Rosier and Snape, Lestrange let out a roar of fury and descended upon Serena. "_Crucio_!" he snarled, his wand pointed directly at her.

Serena felt as if her body was on fire. She heard screaming in the distance and didn't know that it was her own screams she was hearing. Suddenly the pain stopped, and Lily was leaning over her. "Serena! Serena, are you okay? Serena!"

"I'm fine," Serena said.

She tried to sit up and felt shooting pain all over her body. "What happened? Where did they go?"

Lily looked worried. "They left. Your screams were sure to get a teacher out here. Lestrange performed an Unforgivable Curse on you; if he was here when a teacher arrived, he would be expelled for sure."

Just then Professor McGonagall came up to the two girls. "What happened?" she asked, taking in Serena lying on the floor and Lily leaning over her.

"Serena needs to see Madam Pomfrey," Lily said in an urgent tone of voice.

Professor McGonagall evidently sensed that something was wrong, because she didn't question Lily in the slightest but instead conjured up a stretcher and floated Serena onto it. As they made their way down to the hospital wing, Lily explained that Lestrange, Bellatrix, Rosier, and Snape had ambushed them on their way to Charms. "Lestrange used the Cruciatus Curse on Serena, Professor," Lily said in a whisper as Madam Pomfrey bustled over to Serena.

Professor McGonagall's grim face was the last thing Serena saw before she lost consciousness.

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Serena blearily opened an eye to see Lily, James, and Madison sitting by her bed. "She's awake!" Madison whispered.

"Serena?" Lily asked.

Serena looked around. She was in the hospital wing; why? As she tried to sit up, she felt a searing pain in her side. "What – what's happened?" Serena croaked.

She looked to her side and saw Remus lying on a bed next to hers. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I was feeling sick," he replied.

Remus looked relieved that she was talking. "You've been out since yesterday. Do you remember what happened?"

Serena screwed up her face in thought. "Lestrange," she said finally, as it all came rushing back to her.

She looked at Lily. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Lily said, even as James looked her over for the hundredth time to make sure she was all right.

Madam Pomfrey had healed Lily's black eye, and she didn't appear to be otherwise injured. "Thanks to you," Lily added. "How did you stop Bellatrix? She had me in a full body bind, when she fell to the ground, unconscious."

"Uh – it was just a curse I picked up."

"I've never seen anything like it," Lily said, looking interested.

"Well – I actually – I attended Durmstrang for a year," Serena said in a rush. "I picked it up there."

She waited anxiously for her friends' reactions to this piece of news, but they didn't seem to think the worse of her for it. "I didn't know you went there," Madison commented.

"It's not something I'm proud of," Serena said. "When we first moved back to Europe I went there for a year and hated it, so my brother let me switch to Beauxbatons."

Lily winced slightly at the mention of Serena's brother. "Right. Your brother."

"What? What's happened?" Serena questioned.

James, Remus, Lily, and Madison exchanged a look. "Your brother – he sent Dumbledore a Howler," James said.

"He _what_?" Serena asked, flabbergasted.

This time James seemed to be suppressing a smile. "Dumbledore got it this morning during breakfast – you should have seen Professor McGonagall's face – the letter was yelling about how you were supposed to be safe here, and – "

"Oh, no," Serena moaned, putting her face in her hands.

Lily grinned. "Cheer up. Dumbledore was a good sport about it. It could have been worse. He could have sent the Howler to Professor McGonagall."

James, Remus, Lily, Madison, and Serena looked at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing.

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A week later, Serena was out of the hospital wing and back in class. Amos was being especially attentive, and he insisted on accompanying Serena as often as he could. Actually, Serena felt like smacking him and telling him to leave her alone, but at least Amos wasn't as bad as James.

Poor Lily. Serena felt sorry for her friend. James and Lily had all of their classes together and were in the same house, so there was no escape from him. He stuck to Lily like glue, and if he couldn't be there, he made sure Sirius, Remus, or Peter was. Lily had taken to hiding out in the girls' dorm room, like she was doing now, and Serena was keeping her company.

"I've about had it, Serena, I'm telling you," Lily ranted. "He won't leave me alone. Every time I turn around he's there. And do you know what the terrible thing is? No matter how much I yell, sulk, ignore – I bet even if I broke up with him – I still can't get rid of him!"

Serena was nodding along with her friend. "I know what you mean. Amos is driving me nuts, and Remus is with me a little too much for my liking as well. Plus there's the fact that I'm too mortified to even look at Professor Dumbledore, and all the Slytherians got away with it."

There had been a hearing, but the Lestrange, Black, Rosier, and Snape families were too well-connected for the school governors to consent to expelling the four students. "I'm going crazy!" Lily cried, punching a pillow.

Serena could certainly sympathize. "At least James is doing it because he loves you," Serena pointed out. "Amos is just – he's condescending. Like he doesn't believe I can take care of myself, that I need him to be there because he's a big strong man."

Serena scowled, thinking about what she had just said. "I think I'm going to break up with him."

Lily seemed envious. "At least he'll leave you alone once you do. I'll be stuck with James to my dying day."

Both girls looked gloomy.

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A little over a week later, everyone was getting excited for Christmas holiday. The Hogwarts Express was leaving the following day, and Serena couldn't wait to see her brother. She had tons to question him about, as well as chastise him for sending Professor Dumbledore a Howler.

Something was bothering Serena, though. Something named Sirius Black. _It just doesn't fit_, Serena thought. _I know he's a Black, and I know that his entire family supports Voldemort, but maybe Sirius isn't like the rest of his family._

She sighed. _Or maybe you just want to believe that because ever since you've broken up with Amos, you've realized that you find Sirius just as attractive as you did the first day you met him._

Serena punched her pillow. _After all, Sirius knows how I feel about him and his family. If he doesn't share their beliefs, why wouldn't he tell me? Why wouldn't he say something?_

_Why won't he get out of my mind?_

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Later that afternoon, Serena, Lily, and James made their way outside to the greenhouses. Serena heaved a sigh. "I think Amos is still upset with me," she told her friends.

She had broken up with him last week, and although he hadn't shouted or made a scene, Serena could tell he had been angry. Was he angry because she had ended it, not him, or angry because his feelings were hurt? Serena didn't know.

Lily cast a sour look at James. "At least he leaves you alone."

James glared at her. "I am in no mood for this right now, Evans."

"Shut up, Potter," Lily snapped.

"You two are driving me crazy!" Serena exclaimed.

James and Lily ignored her, but Serena suddenly smiled as a thought occurred to her. "Hey, James, what are your plans over Christmas break?"

James was still scowling as he answered Serena. "Sirius and I are staying at my house. Why?"

"Lily's going to be at her house. Not yours. She'll be living in the Muggle world."

Lily's expression looked considerably brighter, while James' expression grew darker. "Now how, I wonder, will she manage to keep herself out of trouble when you're not there?"

Now grinning widely at James' expression, Serena made her way into greenhouse four. She, James, and Lily sat a table with Sirius, and Serena looked around and saw Alice sitting with Frank Longbottom, another Gryffindor sixth year, and two Hufflepuffs. She smiled at Alice before turning to the rest of her table.

"What's the matter with him?" Sirius asked Lily, gesturing towards James.

Serena and Lily exchanged a smile and shrugged innocently.

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The next morning, Serena woke up early – which was unnatural for her. Although she liked Hogwarts, she was thrilled to be going home. Al said he had convinced her uncle to come over for Christmas dinner, and he had also said that any of Serena's friends were welcome to visit anytime they liked.

Serena got dressed and made her way down to breakfast. The Gryffindor table was practically empty – except for Sirius. He looked up and saw her, then looked back down at his food.

_Oh, great. He definitely saw me. Should I sit by him, or shouldn't I? If I don't sit next to him, I won't be acting on my promise to be civil. But if I do sit next to him, I may have to talk to him. And besides, the last time we talked, we argued. Maybe he doesn't _want _me to sit next to him._

_Ugh! Make up your mind already!_ The voice inside her head yelled at her.

Serena sat down relatively near to Sirius. He was across from her a few seats over. He looked up at her again, as if he were considering whether to say anything or not, before grunting, "Morning."

"Good morning," Serena returned politely.

The two of them ate the rest of their meal in silence, carefully avoiding looking at each other. The quiet was finally broken when Peter came over and sat down next to Sirius and spent the rest of the meal chattering away.

After breakfast, Sirius, Serena, and Peter met up with the rest of their friends and headed out towards the train station. Serena, Alice, Rosie, Isabelle, Madison, Lily, James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter found an empty train compartment and piled in. Remus and Lily had to leave to patrol the train for awhile, and Alice left after muttering something about talking with a friend in another compartment.

"Something's going on with Alice," Madison said the second after Alice had left their compartment.

Serena and Rosie nodded in agreement. "What do you mean?" Isabelle asked.

"She's always doing this lately. Giving us some flimsy excuse and then leaving and not coming back," Madison said.

"What do you think she's doing?" Rosie asked.

"Sounds like she has a snogging partner," Sirius put in.

Isabelle rolled her eyes, but Serena nodded. "I think so, too."

Sirius looked surprised that Serena would agree with him, but he didn't say anything else. He and Peter started playing Exploding Snap while James brooded in the corner and Madison, Isabelle, Rosie, and Serena continued discussing who Alice's mystery boyfriend could be.

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"We're almost there," Remus said as he, Lily, and Alice came back into the train compartment where all their friends were sitting.

"You're all invited to my house anytime," Serena said.

Her friends smiled and nodded – all except for Sirius. "I don't know where you live," he said bluntly.

"But she gave everyone her address at dinner last night – "

Peter stopped, seeing Remus and James waving frantically at him. Serena looked at the floor of the train compartment and there was silence for a moment, before Lily spoke up. "We all know you're staying with James," she said. "So between the two of you, you have the address."

Neither Serena nor Sirius said anything for the rest of the trip.

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Serena was still feeling guilty later that day as she unpacked her things. Al had picked her up at the train station and driven her home in a Muggle car that he had added certain specifications to. She had decided to unpack before attacking Al with questions at dinner.

Serena made her way downstairs and found Al in the kitchen. "What's for dinner?" Serena asked.

Al poked his wand at the pot on the stove. "Maybe nothing."

Both Al and Serena were terrible cooks. That was one thing Serena would miss about Hogwarts while she was home: the food. "So tell me about these Slytherians that attacked you," Al said, his voice grim.

"Oh, Al, I cannot _believe_ you sent Professor Dumbledore a Howler! What were you thinking?" Serena admonished him.

He smiled sheepishly. "I sent it before I had time to calm down. Uncle thought it was funny when I told him about it, though."

Serena groaned. "I just bet he did. You know he's incorrigible."

"Yeah, yeah. Now come on, tell me about the attack."

"Quit calling it that. You make it sound so……ominous. Bellatrix Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, Severus Snape, and – Rosier, what's his first name? Oh, I can't remember – anyway, they ambushed Lily and me in the hallway before Charms. Lily and I were holding our own, but we didn't think we could for much longer. Bellatrix had Lily in a full body bind, and I don't know what she planned on doing to her, but I cursed her and this apparently pissed off Lestrange, who came after me."

"What did he do?" Al asked, his voice serious.

Serena hesitated. "He performed the Cruciatus curse," she admitted to her brother.

Al jumped out up out of his chair. "What?!" he yelled.

"Calm down," Serena said as he began pacing back and forth.

"No, I will not calm down. Hogwarts is supposed to be the only place anyone can truly be safe from Voldemort. How can – "

"Al, what do you know about the Black family?" Serena interrupted.

"Voldemort supporters," Al responded automatically. "Why?"

Serena paused. "It's just – Bellatrix is a member of that family, and she's exactly what I expected her to be. But there's someone else from the Black family – and he's – he's not like her – "

"You mean Sirius Black," Al interrupted.

Serena looked at him in surprise. "Yes. How did you know?"

"I've been doing a lot of research into families that I think could have ties to being Death Eaters," Al said. "Apparently, Sirius is a good guy. The black sheep of his family, where evil is the way to be. He ran away from home right before school started this year."

Serena covered her face with her hands. "No. No, no, no. Oh, no."

"Serena? What is it?" Al asked, looking concerned as his sister began rocking back and forth, muttering "no" over and over again.

Serena looked up at her brother, her eyes full of regret. "I've been awful to him," she said. "I thought – I thought he was like the rest of his family. Oh, no, Al, I've been horrible to him! What am I going to do?"

Al sat down at the table again. "Just explain your mistake," he suggested.

Serena sighed. "Oh, that is not going to go well."

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A few days later, Serena was still thinking about Sirius and how horrible she had behaved towards him. _I told him he was just like them – the rest of his family. The family he ran away from. Why didn't I go with my instinct? Before I knew his name, I was attracted to him. After I found out who he was, he still irritated me because he just didn't add up with what a Dark wizard should be like. I'm so stupid._

Just then the doorbell rang, and Serena cautiously went down to answer it. Al had left earlier that morning, and she was home alone. Looking out, she saw James, Lily, Remus, and Madison standing on her doorstep. She threw open the door. "I am so glad you guys are here," were the first words out of her mouth.

"We're glad to see you too," Madison said, sounding surprised by Serena's greeting.

Serena led her friends to the sitting room, and they sat down and looked at her expectantly. "What is it?" Remus asked.

Serena began playing with her pendant anxiously. "I've done something terrible," she said.

"What?" Lily asked, looking concerned.

Serena sighed. "I've never told you why I don't like Sirius."

At this, James and Remus frowned but didn't say anything. "No, you haven't," Madison said. "And let me just say, Serena, that I think he was genuinely hurt when you invited everyone to your house except for him."

Regret was in every part of Serena's face. "I know. I've been terrible towards him because – because – I don't know him like all of you do," she said. "He's a Black. I thought – I thought – "

"You thought he was like the rest of his family," James finished for her, his voice emotionless.

"Yes."

Serena turned pleading eyes on James. "But – I've recently found out that he's – that he left his house. That he doesn't believe in the things his family does."

Remus nodded. "He's living with me now," James said.

"I should have seen it sooner, I know. But it's just – I _hate_ Dark wizards," Serena said, her voice turning hard and bitter. "I hate them. All of them. And I know the Black family's reputation. So when I found out that Sirius was a Black, I just – I let my prejudice overlook who he really was. I'm sorry, I am," Serena said, her voice pleading and directed mostly towards James and Remus.

"You need to be telling Sirius this," Lily said.

Serena bit her lip. "I'm afraid to."

Madison put an arm around Serena, and Remus looked her directly in the eye as he spoke. "You owe it to him."

Serena looked down at the ground, then nodded. "I know."

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_**Author's Note:**_** Review! Please? Otherwise, how will I know if I should keep putting up new chapters? You DO want a new chapter soon, don't you?**


	5. Becoming Friends

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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Serena was nervous. There was no getting around it. Right now, Al was driving her to the train station, and she was going back to Hogwarts. Her friends were expecting her to apologize to Sirius right away. But what was she supposed to say? How would Sirius react?

"Here we are, kid," Al said.

He and Serena got out of the car, and Al pushed Serena's cart towards platform nine and three-quarters. He and Serena went through the barrier and found themselves surrounded by other Hogwarts students and their families. Al gave Serena a quick hug before pulling away and ruffling her blond hair. "Take care of yourself," Al said somberly.

Serena looked back at her brother just as seriously. "You too."

He flashed her a cocky grin. "Don't I always?"

Serena rolled her eyes and walked to the train.

After throwing her trunk with the others in the luggage compartments, Serena made her way through the train looking for her friends. She found Peter, Remus, Lily, Rosie, and Isabelle all sitting together. "Hey everybody," Serena greeted them.

As they chorused a greeting back at her, Madison, Sirius, and James entered the compartment. Madison and Sirius were having a heated debate about something called the Wronski Feint, while James immediately sat down next to Lily.

To Serena's surprise, Lily didn't snap at him. Instead, she actually smiled at her boyfriend. "What's going on with you two?" Serena asked them.

"Lily realized she's stuck with me, so she better make the best of it," James said with an arrogant grin.

Lily elbowed him in the side, hard. "Hey!" James said. "What'd you do that for?"

"You're such a prat," Lily said.

"So you two aren't fighting every second anymore?" Isabelle asked.

"No, we talked it out," Lily said vaguely.

Rosie looked relieved. "Good. You two were driving me nuts."

James and Lily glared. Remus coughed, looking at Serena, who ignored him. He coughed again, loudly, and this time Sirius and Peter looked at Remus. "What's the matter with you?" Sirius asked him.

Remus sighed. "Nothing."

As they were talking, Madison kept elbowing Serena in the side. "Quit it," Serena hissed at her.

"Do it," Madison hissed back.

Sirius and Peter were now looking at the two girls in interest. "All right, all right," Serena muttered, glaring at her friend.

She stood up. "Sirius, can I talk to you? Privately," she added, glaring at her friends.

Sirius looked at her suspiciously. "Right now?" he asked.

Serena rolled her eyes. "No, I'll just stand here until you're ready. Yes, right now."

Remus raised an eyebrow at her, and Serena scowled at him. Sirius followed Serena's gaze to Remus, who gave him an encouraging nod. Sirius sighed. "Fine."

He followed her through the train as they tried to find an empty compartment where they could talk. "This one looks empty," Serena said, peering in through the window.

She opened the door, and Sirius followed her inside. Suddenly she stopped, and Sirius walked right into her. "Ow! What'd you – "

He stopped, too, following her gaze. Frank and Alice! Frank Longbottom and Alice were on top of each other! They didn't appear to notice that they had visitors, and Serena turned to Sirius and put a finger over her lips, indicating that he should remain silent. The two of them tiptoed past Frank and Alice and found an empty train compartment on the other side. Closing the door behind them, Serena looked at Sirius.

Suddenly they both burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, can you imagine if they had seen us?" Serena asked between giggles.

"I never knew Frank had it in him!" Sirius said.

"Alice would have been so embarrassed if she knew we had seen them!" Serena said, still laughing so hard tears were running down her cheeks.

"Now we know where she keeps disappearing to," Sirius added.

Serena, realizing that she and Sirius were alone in the train car, remembered why she had come there in the first place. She sobered up a bit, and sat down.

Sirius, noticing that she had stopped laughing and was now looking solemn, followed suit, still eyeing her warily. _He's probably afraid I'll go off on him again_, Serena thought, sighing inwardly.

"Sirius – the reason I wanted to talk to is because – " Serena stammered. " – is because I owe you an apology."

"What?"

Sirius looked like he was about to fall over in shock. Obviously, whatever he had expected her to say, it hadn't been this. Serena started fingering her pendant nervously. "I had a – misconception – about you, and I – allowed it to cloud my judgment – and I know I've been terrible towards you, and I'm very sorry," Serena finished in a rush.

Sirius was still looking at her suspiciously. "Why are you apologizing now?" he finally asked.

Serena looked surprised. "Why now? Because over break, I found out the truth about – " here Serena paused before continuing. " – your family," she finished.

"My family," Sirius repeated.

"Yes. Why didn't you tell me you lived with James?" Serena demanded, growing angry by Sirius' lack of reaction to her apology. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't like the rest of your family?"

Sirius, trying to hold his anger in check, clenched his jaw. "Maybe I thought you would get to know someone before judging them so harshly," Sirius finally snapped.

Serena, taken aback by his sudden anger, was silent. "Just who do you think you are, anyway?" Sirius continued. "You come in here, not knowing anything about me, and treat me like shit just because – "

"Look, I'm sorry!" Serena interrupted, feeling horribly guilty and incredibly angry at the same time. "I know I made a mistake – "

"Yeah, you did," Sirius spat out.

Serena threw up her hands. "I don't know what you want me to say! You don't understand, how could you? I _hate_ Dark wizards. Voldemort and his supporters have ruined my life – they're still trying to."

By now, Serena was close to tears. "I can't stop them, and I don't know who to trust. So when I meet someone whose last name is that of a family of Voldemort supporters, excuse me for having a bit of a prejudice. That's not going to change, but when I found out that I was wrong, I apologized."

Serena took a deep, shuddering breath. "So I'm sorry, Sirius."

She turned to leave, but Sirius grabbed her arm. "Wait," he said.

Serena had frozen the instant she felt his hand on her arm, and she slowly turned around. Sirius sighed inwardly. He had never seen anyone more beautiful. Her big blue eyes were full of tears that she was struggling not to let fall, and Sirius felt himself weakening. Girls trying to keep themselves from crying always did him in.

"Don't cry," Sirius said gruffly.

Serena bit her lip. "I'm not."

They looked at each other for a moment, and Sirius stuck out his hand. "Friends?"

Serena shook his hand solemnly. "Friends."

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"See? Meddling works," Madison said.

James, Lily, Madison, and Remus were whispering together in the back of Transfiguration. Sirius, Peter, and Serena were sitting a little bit further up in the classroom. The Gryffindors had been back at school for a few weeks now. No one knew what Serena and Sirius had said on the train, but the two had, after a rocky start, become friends. In fact, they seemed to become closer every day. They had the same wicked sense of humor and a general lack of compassion towards innocent bystanders that the Marauders pulled pranks on.

Almost two weeks ago, the Marauders had brutally embarrassed Severus Snape in the hallway in front of many other students. Lily had been mad at James for almost a week, but Serena and Sirius had found the whole thing incredibly funny and hadn't felt the slightest bit of remorse or pity for Snape.

"Do you four have something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" Professor McGonagall asked, coming up to James, Lily, Remus, and Madison's desks. "No, Professor," Remus said quickly.

"Good."

After class let out, the Gryffindors made their way to lunch. No sooner had they all sat down that an owl swooped down upon Serena. "Who's it from?" Isabelle asked.

"Her brother," Sirius said, as Serena said, "My brother" at the same time.

The entire table, including Serena, looked at Sirius in surprise. He shrugged. "It's Friday. You always get an owl from your brother on Friday."

Serena gave him a small smile before reading the note.

**Kid – **

**Uncle thinks that You-Know-Who has some reason for trying to get at us. I lent my car to a friend, and he was killed when the car was attacked by Death Eaters. They'll keep trying until they get me, and then I'm afraid they'll come after you. I don't know why they want our whole family dead, and that's what Uncle and I are investigating. I'll let you know if I find anything, but I honestly don't know where to start. What did we ever do to anyone?**

**We may have to move.**

**- Al**

"What is it?" Lily asked as Serena folded up the letter and put it in the pocket of her school robes.

Serena waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, nothing important."

Her friends went back to eating, but Serena thought Sirius was looking at her suspiciously. She gave him a bright smile and pushed food around on her plate for the rest of the meal.

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"Where are you going?" Rosie asked as Alice got up from the table.

It was the nighttime, and Rosie, Isabelle, Lily, Madison, Alice, and Serena were all doing their homework at a table in the Gryffindor common room. "To study," Alice said, blushing slightly.

Serena and Madison gave her knowing grins. "Right," Serena said.

"To study," Madison put in.

Alice blushed even deeper. Sirius and Serena had told _everyone _about Alice and Frank Longbottom, and they all teased Alice every chance they got. She had told them that she and Frank had kept it secret because they didn't want to make a big deal out of their relationship, and almost every night Alice disappeared to "study". All of the girls, and the Marauders, found this extremely funny.

"See you later," Alice said before walking off down the hall.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Look, she even brings her books with her. Who does she think she's kidding?"

"Oh, wait, look, there Frank goes!" Serena said, pointing as Frank Longbottom got up and also left the common room.

"He's brought his books, too!" Isabelle said.

The girls collapsed into giggles.

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Even later that night, Serena snuck out of the common room and transformed into a gray cat. Remus was in the hospital wing again, and James, Sirius, and Peter had been suspiciously absent from dinner and gone the rest of the night as well. Serena wanted to find out what they were up to.

_Actually, now that I think about it……they do this a lot. At least once a month. I wonder what they're doing? Playing pranks on some unsuspecting Slytherians?_

Feeling decidedly more cheerful at the thought, Serena roamed the corridors in search of them, her thoughts wandering as she did so. _I'm glad Sirius and I are friends now. He's funny, and loyal, and he really gets me. I feel like I can trust him just as much as I trust Lily or Remus or Madison._

Rounding a corner, Serena continued plodding down the hallway as her thoughts took a darker turn. _I hope Al and Uncle are okay. It's got to be dangerous to investigate Voldemort and the Death Eaters. But why does Voldemort want to kill my family? That's twice now that Death Eaters have come for Al. He's only survived through pure luck. What if next time they succeed in their mission? Then what will I do? Al is all I have left._

Serena paused. Was that voices she heard up ahead? Creeping forward silently, she stayed close to the shadows from the wall. She could make out Bellatrix Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, Severus Snape, and Regalus Black up ahead. They were standing in front of a serpent statue that Serena assumed was the entrance to the Slytherian common room. They spoke in hushed voices but Serena, in cat form, could hear every word they were saying.

"The Dark Lord has put his ultimate faith in me," Lestrange was saying. "He bestowed his mark upon me over Christmas break."

There was the sound of a shuffling robe, and Lestrange showed his three fellow Slytherians something that apparently impressed them. "We all aspire to what you've achieved already, Rodolphus," Regalus said fervently.

"The Dark Lord has already said that I am to serve him this summer," Snape added.

"Oh, Rodolphus," Bellatrix cooed. "It is such an honor. I can't wait until I am in my seventh year, and the Dark Lord sees fit to brand me in the same way."

Rodolphus ran a hand through Bellatrix's hair. "Your time will come, my love. And then the two of us can serve the Dark Lord together."

Serena could tell Bellatrix had smiled at this, because her teeth gleamed white in the darkness. "And we can rid our world of Mudbloods like that bitch Evans and blood traitors like Ashby, Potter, and my dear cousin."

Serena shuddered at the venom in Bellatrix's voice, and felt chills race up and down her spine at Lestrange's reply. "Or if we're very good, the Dark Lord may not make us wait to do that. The Dark Lord has interest in the Ashby girl."

_And just what is that supposed to mean?_ Serena wondered.

But Lestrange did not say anything more.

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"Oh, sorry!" Serena said.

Once again, she was running late to a class – Defense Against the Dark Arts this time – and had run straight into someone. It seemed like she was _always_ running into someone lately; had she always been this klutzy?

Her books had fallen to the floor, and as she bent over to pick them up, the person she had hit also bent over to help her. Their heads collided, and Serena straightened and backed up, seeing stars. "I'm sorry," she and her victim said at the same time.

Serena finally looked at the person she had crashed into. He was of medium height and build, and had blond hair and brown eyes. Serena couldn't remember if she had seen him around before; she knew he wasn't a Gryffindor, anyway. He was kinda cute.

Serena flashed him a smile. "I'm so sorry," she said again.

He smiled back. "It's all right. I'm Eric, by the way."

She took the hand he offered and shook it. "Serena."

"House?" he asked.

"Gryffindor."

"Ravenclaw," he replied.

"Interesting," Serena said.

"Interested?" Eric asked with a grin.

"Maybe," Serena answered with a playful smile.

"Good."

Serena looked at her watch. "Later?"

He smiled at her. "Sure."

Feeling amused and slightly giddy – whether this was from meeting Eric or their head butt, she wasn't sure – Serena continued rushing down the hallway, making it to Defense Against the Dark Arts just in time. She sat down next to Madison and Lily. "We thought you were going to be late again," Madison whispered.

Serena smiled. "I met a guy. Ran into him, actually."

Lily leaned in. "Who?"

"Eric. He's a Ravenclaw."

"What's his last name?" Madison wanted to know.

Serena shrugged. "I don't know."

She told her two friends about their one-word conversation. Lily and Madison grinned. "Sounds fun," Lily said.

"Go get him!" Madison encouraged.

Serena smiled at the two girls. "You know, I just might."

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"I just don't understand it," Sirius was saying. "Why limit yourself to one girl?"

Sirius, James, Serena, Isabelle, Madison, and Frank Longbottom were supposed to be working on their homework at a table in the Gryffindor common room, but what had started as teasing towards Frank had turned into a talk on relationships.

Frank and James shook their heads. "When you meet a certain girl, you just don't have any interest in anyone else," James said.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Lily's not here, James. You don't have to say that."

Serena and Madison giggled. "No, it's true," Frank insisted. "Ever since I met Alice, I just don't want to be with anyone else."

"I think that's sweet," Isabelle said, smiling at Frank.

"I think that's bullshit," Sirius retorted. "You can't tell me that if a hot girl walks by, you don't look."

"Well, no," James admitted. "I might look. But that's all I'd do."

Isabelle looked a bit put out by James' admission. "I'm with Sirius," Serena said unexpectedly. "Serious relationships are overrated."

Madison nodded. "Someone always wanting to know where you are."

"What you're doing," Serena added.

" – who you're with – "

" – what you're feeling – "

"It's tiresome," Madison finished.

Serena nodded in agreement. Sirius looked pleased that he had people on his side. "You can't really think that!" Isabelle said, sounding aghast. "Every girl wants a boyfriend."

"Not every girl," Madison protested.

"And besides, there's something to be said for casual dating," Serena added with a grin.

Madison grinned back. "So how's Eric?"

Serena shrugged. "I haven't talked to him for a few days. We had fun when we went to Hogsmeade last weekend, though."

"See? The perfect relationship," Sirius proclaimed.

James, Frank, and Isabelle just shook their heads.

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A few weeks later, the school was abuzz with talk of the Valentine's Day Ball that Dumbledore had consented to. Usually the staff pretended Valentine's Day didn't exist and forbade any form of public displays of affection, but this year Dumbledore had announced that there would indeed be a Valentine's Day Ball. Professor McGonagall had choked on her wine and Professor Sprout had looked horrified, but the students eagerly welcomed the idea. The ball was limited to fifth, sixth, and seventh year students, but younger students could go if asked by an older student.

James and Lily were going together, as were Alice and Frank. Serena and Eric had stopped seeing each other, and she was going to the ball with a tall, blond-haired Gryffindor seventh year named Edgar Bones. Packs of girls had been hanging around Sirius until he finally asked one to go with him just so that the rest would leave him alone; he was going with a curly-haired fifth year Hufflepuff named Susan something. Isabelle and Rosie were going stag, as was Peter who, to no one's surprise, was unable to find a date.

The real surprise had been Remus and Madison. No one had really noticed that they had been spending more time together, but Remus had asked Madison to the ball and she had said yes. Lily, thrilled that one of her friends was dating one of James' friends, had excitedly said that they simply _had_ to sit together.

Madison had confessed to Serena that while she certainly liked Remus and had fun with him, she didn't foresee anything serious happening. Serena, who understood this all too well, told her to ignore Lily and just have fun. Lily, usually assisted by Alice, was way too eager for all of her friends to fall madly in love. Serena and Madison usually grew annoyed when she focused her attention on the two of them. Rosie and Isabelle were much more receptive to Lily's attempts.

"I can't wait to go shopping," Serena said enthusiastically.

Dumbledore had planned a special Hogsmeade trip so that the students attending the ball – mostly the girls – could go shopping for that perfect outfit. "Me neither," Alice said. "It'll be so much fun!"

Madison looked decidedly less excited than her friends. Serena, Lily, Alice, Rosie, and Isabelle couldn't wait to go; Madison, however, hated shopping and was trying to prepare herself to be tortured by her friends for a whole afternoon.

Seeing the look on Madison's face, Lily grinned. "Don't worry, we'll have _so _much fun dressing you up, Maddie!"

Madison's expression grew even gloomier.

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That weekend, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Frank stayed well away from their girl friends. "Girls are crazy when they get to go shopping," Sirius said darkly, and the others agreed whole-heartedly.

Unaware that their guy friends were avoiding them, the girls – with the exception of Madison, who was already extremely cranky – happily made their way into Hogsmeade, ready for a full afternoon of shopping. It was well-known to all female students that dress robes were not exactly attractive, and it had been informally decided that Muggle dresses were the way to go. "They're much sexier," Lily commented, and the others agreed.

The girls spent hours looking over dresses, shoes, and jewelry. Finally, by the end of the afternoon, Madison cracked. "I can't do this anymore!" she moaned. "We're all ready. We have everything we need. Do we really need to shop anymore? I know you're just shopping 'for fun' now, and I can't take it. Can we _please_ go back to school? Please?"

"Oh, all right," Lily said.

"I'm actually surprised that she lasted this long," Isabelle said to the others, who nodded in agreement.

The girls made their way back to Hogwarts, pleased with their purchases. Isabelle had settled on an emerald green dress, which brought out the green in her hazel eyes. The dress was long, but it had a slit up the side that ended mid-thigh. Rosie had gotten a navy blue dress that made her eyes seem even bluer. It was clingy and knee-length, and had a sweetheart neckline.

Madison had gone for a killer bright red dress that was extremely low-cut on top and high-cut on the bottom. She had added a pair of stiletto red heels and Serena had decreed that Remus' eyes were likely to pop out of his head.

Serena had gotten a dress similar to Madison's, but hers was black. The ultimate little black dress, it had spaghetti straps and the only jewelry she planned on wearing was her mother's necklace. Lily had gotten a green dress a similar color to Isabelle, as it complemented her bright green eyes. Lily's dress, however, was short and corset-style. She had smiled wickedly when Rosie had asked her if she thought James would like the dress.

Alice, however, was much more modest than her friends. Her dress was a light pink, and it came to the ground in a floaty material that made her look like a princess with her blond curls. She had, on Serena, Madison, and Lily's suggestion, agreed to wear a garter belt with her stockings – "to give Frank a surprise," Serena said suggestively, and the girls burst into laughter as Alice's face turned bright red.

All in all, it had been a very successful shopping expedition.

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While the girls went shopping, the Marauders and Frank sat in the Gryffindor common room. Frank and Remus were playing wizard chess, while Peter and James played Exploding Snap and Sirius ate some Chocolate Frogs, rubbing his stomach as they hopped around.

"I can't believe they're still gone," James said, after a few hours had passed.

Sirius shrugged. "Girls are crazy about shopping," he said, echoing his earlier words.

Frank grinned. "Except for Madison. Did you see the expression on her face when the others dragged her off?"

Peter smiled. "That was pretty funny."

"I still can't believe you asked Madison to the ball and never even said a word to us about liking her," James told Remus.

Remus shrugged without replying. "Probably because between you and Lily, the two of them would be getting married by now," Sirius said.

James looked annoyed. "I am not a part of some old married couple that wants to fix all of their friends up."

There was silence for a moment. "I'm not," James insisted, defensive.

He looked around at his friends. "Am I?" he asked, a note of panic sounding in his voice.

Sirius clapped him on his shoulder. "Let's go play some Quidditch."

The school was mostly empty, and no teams were practicing, so the pitch was wide open. The boys jumped on their brooms, taking off into the air. They played for awhile, then heard some yells.

Spotting the girls below, they flew down and landed. "How'd the shopping go?" Sirius asked Madison with a smirk.

She glared at him. "How about letting us play?" Lily asked.

The boys looked at her. "The five of us against the six of you? Is that fair?" James asked.

Lily smiled sweetly at him. "Afraid we'll beat you?"

"No," James scoffed.

"Let's make it interesting, shall we? How about a little bet?" Madison asked, rubbing her hands together.

"Wait, who's going to ref?" Peter asked.

"I will," Serena said immediately.

All eyes turned towards her. "You don't want to play?" Isabelle asked.

Serena found herself blushing. "I – uh – I'm really terrible at Quidditch," she confessed. "I'm a horrible flier."

Sirius burst into laughter at her confession, and Serena punched him in the arm as hard as she could. "Hey, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing his arm.

Serena scowled at him. "For being a prat," she said.

"So what's the bet?" Frank asked, as Serena and Sirius continued to glare at each other.

"Losers sneak down to the kitchens and brings the winners sweets," Madison said.

James grinned at her arrogantly. "You're on."

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_**Author's Note: **_**So who do YOU think won? I know, I know, it's in the next chapter! You better review if you want it.**


	6. Valentine's Day

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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"I can't believe we lost," Madison whispered angrily.

Lily, Madison, Isabelle, Rosie, Alice, and Serena were sneaking down to the kitchens that night to fulfill the obligations of their bet. Lily sighed. "Just because I missed that one goal does not mean that it is my fault we lost, Madison," she said.

"Did I say that it was?" Madison asked, spoiling for a fight.

"No, but you implied – "

"I did no such thing – "

"Yes, you did, and then you screamed at me out on the field – "

"It was an easy save, how could you have – "

"See, I knew it! You _do_ blame me!"

"Would the both of you _shut up_," Serena hissed. "I came with you to be nice, and right now you are pissing me off."

Lily and Madison both turned to glare at her, and then all six girls froze as they heard the sound of a throat being cleared. Slowly, they all turned and saw Professor McGonagall standing behind them, arms crossed and eyes furious. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked them, her voice dangerously low.

The girls were silent, none of them knowing what to say. Finally Serena spoke. "We're sorry, Professor. It won't happen again."

Professor McGonagall pointed a finger at the girls threateningly. "That's right. It won't. Wandering in the halls after hours is against school rules. Fifteen points from Gryffindor – each."

"Professor, don't – " Lily began.

"You can't – " Madison started.

"Yes, I think I can," Professor McGonagall said. "Detentions, Miss Kepler and Miss Evans. And one more word out of any of you, and it'll be fifty more points."

Alice stepped on Madison's foot as she opened her mouth to say something, effectively silencing her, and the girls made their way back to the common room without saying a word. Frank and the Marauders descended upon them as soon as they entered the room. "Where's our food?" Sirius demanded.

"What happened?" Remus asked, seeing the expression on Madison's face.

"Thanks to these two bickering," Serena said, glaring at Madison and Lily, "McGonagall caught us and took off fifteen points from Gryffindor – each."

Madison and Lily glared at Serena. "And Madison and Lily got detentions," Isabelle said, sounding almost smug.

All six girls were glaring and purposely trying to irritate each other. James and Remus stepped between them. "Lil, _you _got a detention?" James asked, surprised.

She glared at him without answering, and he hastily continued. "All right, you girls have obviously spent way too much time together today," James said.

Now all of the girls were glaring at him. James shot a desperate look at Remus. "Uh – maybe we should just go to bed," Remus suggested.

"Maybe I don't _want _to go to bed," Madison snapped at him.

Smirking at the expression on Remus' face, Serena held her wand as inconspicuously as possible and muttered an incantation. James and Remus' hair slowly started turning bright turquoise. As the girls, Peter, Sirius, and Frank struggled not to laugh, James and Remus looked at their friends in confusion.

Finally Rosie cracked and started laughing loud. "What? What's so funny?" James asked.

Lily smiled at him. "Oh, nothing."

With that, the girls all burst into laughter and went upstairs to their room.

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A week later, it was Valentine's Day. Edgar and one of Serena's ex-boyfriends that she still talked to had sent Serena flowers and so, to her surprise, had Eric. James and Lily and Frank and Alice got each other flowers and chocolates and gifts and were so generally nauseating that Sirius, Madison, Serena, Remus, and Peter avoided them as best they could for most of the day. For some reason, Rosie and Isabelle thought that the two couples were cute.

"They are literally making me sick," Madison said, sounding disgusted.

"I can't believe I call him my best friend," Sirius said.

Sirius, Madison, Serena, Remus, Peter, Rosie, and Isabelle were all sitting in the Gryffindor common room at a table far away from the two lovesick couples. They were watching and discussing them and, with the exception of Rosie and Isabelle, just generally complaining about them.

"I might have expected this from Frank and Alice, but not Lily and James," Serena added.

"It is rather excessive," Remus conceded.

James had just given Lily a silver necklace with a little silver heart dangling from the chain, and Lily had given him a kiss, running a hand through his hair. James had grinned, looking pleased with himself, and pulled Lily into his lap. She had giggled and squirmed playfully as James tried to kiss her again.

"Ugh," Madison said. "Lily is embarrassing me."

"Why do guys do that?" Sirius wondered out loud. "I get plenty of girls, and I – "

"Am an idiot," Serena finished for him.

Sirius swung an arm around her shoulders. "Jealous?" he asked with an exaggerated wink.

Serena elbowed him. "You wish," she scoffed.

"Who were the flowers from, Serena?" Isabelle asked, changing the subject.

"Edgar and Eric, and a guy I used to date," Serena replied.

Rosie looked surprised. "Eric? But didn't you break up with him?"

Serena shrugged. "We were never really dating, so how could we really break up? We just kinda stopped hanging out."

Sirius shook his head, looking wistful. "I wish every girl thought like you did. It'd make my life so much easier."

Serena hexed him, causing his ears to shrivel up.

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Late that afternoon, Lily and Alice managed to pull themselves away from James and Frank to follow Serena, Madison, Rosie, and Isabelle upstairs. "Gee, how nice of you to join us," Madison commented as Lily and Alice came into the room.

"Oh, stop," Alice said.

She and Lily had known that Madison would have found their behavior annoying, but they didn't care. James and Frank made the two girls happy, and that was all that mattered, right? Lily said as much, but Madison and Serena just exchanged disbelieving glances.

"Just wait," Alice said. "One of these days you two are going to fall head over heels, and then you'll be just as sickening as we are."

"That is _never_ going to happen," Madison said.

Lily smiled in anticipation. "I can't wait."

"Truce, please, so we can get ready," Isabelle said.

"All right, all right," Serena said.

Serena made her way over to her mirror and looked at her straight blond hair in despair. "I hate my hair," Serena complained.

She eyed Lily. "Hey Lil," Serena began in a persuasive tone of voice. "Can you perform a Curling Charm on my hair?"

Lily looked at her watch. "I don't know, it's kinda complicated……" she trailed off.

Serena gave her a pleading look. "Pleeeeease?" she wheedled.

Lily sighed. "All right," she agreed.

The girls both got dressed, and Lily used her curling charm on Serena's hair. Isabelle put Madison's hair up, and Alice pinned up her curls as well. Rosie pulled Lily's hair into a complicated twist, and then all the girls were ready to go.

They made their way downstairs and found Frank and the Marauders already down there. Isabelle, Rosie, and Peter made their way to the Great Hall, where the ball was taking place. James and Frank greeted their girlfriends with a kiss, telling them they looked beautiful. As predicted, Remus' eyes almost fell out of his head when he saw Madison. He handed her a single red rose that went perfectly with her bright red dress. "You look gorgeous," Remus told Madison.

To Serena and Sirius' surprise, Madison actually blushed and smiled at Remus. Sirius and Serena exchanged a look, both of them trying not to laugh. Serena twirled. "How do I look?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at Sirius.

He made a show of looking her up and down. "Pretty good," he said with a leer.

She wrapped a shiny blond curl around her finger, looking at him with her big blue eyes wide. "Only 'pretty' good?" she asked, pouting.

Sirius grinned. "Pretty damn good."

Just then Edgar Bones came over to Serena. "Hey, you look gorgeous," he said.

Serena smiled. "Hey. Thanks for the flowers."

He smiled back at her. "I'm glad you liked them."

Edgar turned to Sirius. "Hey Black, how's it going?"

"Pretty good," Sirius said.

There was a pause, then, "I better go meet Susan. See you two later."

"See you," Edgar said, putting his arm around Serena.

"'Bye, Sirius," Serena added.

Sirius threw her a grin, then left.

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Later that night, Sirius got himself a drink while Susan went to the bathroom to "freshen up". What, exactly, that was code for Sirius had no idea, but every single girl he had ever known used it. Sirius was glad to have a moment alone. He had asked Susan to the Ball because he had been tired of girls following him around, trying to get him to ask them. It's not like any of them really knew him. They just wanted to go with him because he was hot and popular – although not very modest. And he had asked Susan because she was beautiful and fun, but he was starting to worry that she thought that he wanted to start something serious with her. Sirius didn't want to start anything serious with anyone.

Sirius' thoughts drifted towards Serena. _She looked unbelievably hot in that little black dress, with those high black heels and that necklace that certainly……drew attention to where it lay. And what was with her hair? It was all curly somehow. I liked it. I think I almost fell over when I first saw her come down. I never knew her legs were so long……It was really hard to pretend that it didn't affect me._

"Hey Sirius!" Susan said brightly, coming over to him.

"Hey," he replied, part of his mind still thinking about Serena and how hot she had looked.

"Do you want to dance?" Susan asked him.

Sirius shrugged. "Sure."

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Serena was feeling bored. What was the matter with her? Amos, Eric, and now Edgar. She had never moved through boys so quickly before. It was like she was searching for something in a guy (what, she had no idea), and when she didn't find it immediately, she just moved on.

"So how's it going with Edgar?" Isabelle asked, coming up to Serena.

Serena shrugged. "All right, I guess."

Isabelle gave her a sympathetic look. "He's not right either?"

Serena had told her girl friends that both Amos and Eric hadn't been 'right' for her. "I don't think so," Serena replied.

Isabelle shrugged. "Don't worry about that tonight. Just have fun!" she advised.

Serena brightened a little. "You're right. Why am I taking this so seriously? It's just a silly Valentine's Day ball."

She changed the subject. "Are you having fun?" she asked her friend.

Isabelle nodded. "I met a Ravenclaw sixth year, Gregory. He's – oh, he's waving me over. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, bye!" Serena called after her as Isabelle hurried away.

She felt happy for her friend. She smiled at Edgar as he came back over to her. "Want to dance?" he asked her.

"Sure."

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James and Lily swayed slowly to the music. Lily's arms were around James' neck, and his hands were moving up and down her back as they kissed. Whether a slow or a fast song played, James and Lily didn't change position.

They finally moved off the dance floor to take an air and drink break. Lily looked around. "How do you think Madison and Remus are doing?" she asked James.

James, remembering how his friends had said that he and Lily tried to fix people up, shrugged noncommittally as he and Lily sat down at a table. Lily put her head on James' shoulder. "I hope they're having fun," she said.

James kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure they are."

Lily looked up and smiled at him. "I love you, you know."

Sometimes it amazed James how he never tired of hearing her say that. He had tried for so many years to win her over and now that he finally had, he counted himself lucky.

James grinned at her arrogantly. "I know."

Lily punched him lightly before leaning forward and giving him a kiss.

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Out on the dance floor, Remus and Madison were having a good time. They were dancing and laughing together, and when a slow song came on Madison snuggled into Remus' arms. "I'm having a really good time," Madison said, looking up at Remus.

"Me too," Remus said.

They looked at each other, and Remus leaned in to kiss her. He stopped just before he reached her lips and Madison, still looking at him, closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his.

Remus kissed her back. It was a very good night.

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"Come on," Frank said, he and Alice sneaking out of the Great Hall.

They headed back to the Gryffindor common room, which was empty. It was extremely late, after all, and the younger students had already gone to bed. "My room's empty," Alice said, blushing.

Frank grinned at her, and the two made their way to Alice's dorm room. Locking the door behind them, they began kissing and ended up on Alice's bed. Frank pushed up Alice's dress and saw her garter belt. "Sexy," he commented.

Alice smiled shyly, then pulled Frank's mouth to hers.

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Serena, who was dancing with Edgar, rolled her eyes after making sure he couldn't see. Edgar had just told her that she looked like a beautiful angel. _An angel_, Serena thought, trying not to groan out loud. _Give me a break._

At the moment, Serena was trying to remember why exactly she had agreed to go with Edgar to the ball. _Because he's older……because he's handsome……although he's definitely not funny……and not interesting……in fact, he's pretty much boring me to death here……maybe we shouldn't be spending so much time talking._

When a slow song came on and Edgar pulled Serena close to him, she smiled and allowed him to kiss her. _Yes, this is much better than talking,_ she thought.

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"And so then I was thinking that after your next Quidditch match, we could go and – "

Sirius felt slightly panicked. His next Quidditch match? Susan was already planning on things for them to do together after his next Quidditch match? That wasn't for two more weeks! He had no intention of still being with Susan in two weeks. In fact, Sirius didn't see any reason for he and Susan to be together anytime after tonight.

"So what do you think?" Susan finished, breaking into Sirius' thoughts.

"Uh, yeah, we'll see how it goes," Sirius said vaguely.

Susan frowned slightly. To distract her, and himself, Sirius leaned in and kissed her. _Now _this_ is why I asked her to the ball,_ Sirius thought as Susan kissed him back eagerly.

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Rosie ran up to Frank and Alice as they re-entered the Great Hall, looking only slightly disheveled. "Where have you two been?" she squealed.

Frank and Alice exchanged a look. "Uh – " Frank started.

"We went to, um – " Alice began.

But Rosie didn't wait to hear their reply. "Sirius just hexed Rodolphus Lestrange!"

"What?" Frank and Alice exclaimed simultaneously.

They looked around. Sure enough, no one was dancing but were instead standing in small clumps, whispering to each other. Spotting Remus, Madison, James, Lily, Peter, Serena, Edgar, Isabelle, and a brown-haired boy all standing together, Frank, Alice, and Rosie quickly hurried over to join them. "What happened?" Alice asked.

Edgar looked annoyed, and Serena was slightly pale. "Bellatrix and Lestrange came up to Serena and started taunting her," Remus explained. "Sirius was right there, and he heard what they were saying. The next thing we know, Lestrange is wobbling around and Bellatrix starts screaming and swearing at Sirius, who is of course yelling right back at her."

"Are you okay?" Frank asked Serena.

She gave him an oddly bright smile. "Yes, I'm fine," she said, a bit too loudly.

"What did he say to you?" Madison asked.

Serena shook her head. "Nothing, really. Just the usual. You know how Lestrange and Bellatrix are."

Everyone, except for Edgar and the boy standing with Isabelle, nodded. Serena started moving away from her friends. "Actually, there's something I have to do," she said.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Lily asked, frowning worriedly at her friend.

Serena smiled at her again. "No, of course not. I'm fine."

She looked at Edgar. "I'm sorry, Edgar. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

And she quickly hurried away. Once Serena made her way out to the hallway, she leaned against a wall. She couldn't let anyone see how shaken she really was.

She had been standing alone in the corner sipping her drink while Edgar went and got himself one when Lestrange and Bellatrix had come over to her, both clad in black. Bellatrix had been hanging off of Lestrange's arm, and the two of them had both been grinning cruelly at her. "Well, look who it is," Bellatrix cackled. "My favorite little blood traitor."

Serena had rolled her eyes. "And here are my two favorite Voldemort cronies," Serena had retorted.

Bellatrix's eyes had flashed. "You dare say the Dark Lord's name?" she had hissed.

Lately everyone – including the _Daily Prophet_ – had begun referring to Voldemort as You-Know-Who. Serena refused to give in to the trend. "I always call my enemies by their names," Serena had replied.

This time it had been Lestrange who had leaned in towards her. "Enemy? But surely you must know that the Dark Lord has a special interest in you – and your brother," he said smoothly.

Serena had felt the first frisson of fear. "You leave my brother out of this," she said fiercely. "What do you want with me?"

"You mean – you really don't know?" Bellatrix had asked delightedly.

She had let loose with a high-pitched laugh that grated on Serena's ears. But Lestrange had smiled at her. It was a cold smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. He reached over and rubbed her pendant between his fingers. "All in good time," he said, running a finger down Serena's cheek.

Bellatrix frowned at her boyfriend's action. Serena, feeling disgusted, had grabbed his wrist and pushed it away from her. "Don't touch me," she spat.

"You bitch," Lestrange said, angered that she would dare push him away and speak to him in that way.

He had reached for his wand when Sirius had hexed him. Serena hadn't seen Sirius come up and had no idea how long he had been standing there. After Sirius hit Lestrange with a Jelly-Legs Jinx, Bellatrix had turned her fury on her cousin and the two had had a loud shouting match that had ended only when Professors Slughorn and McGonagall had come and marched the Black cousins to Dumbledore's office. Professor Flitwick undid Sirius' jinx, and Lestrange had left the hall immediately.

Serena let out a sigh. She hadn't told any of her friends, not even Lily, that Voldemort was hunting down and murdering her entire family and she had no idea why. Now Sirius might know. _How much did he hear?_ Serena wondered.

And why did Bellatrix and Lestrange know why Voldemort was after the Ashby family and her own brother and uncle couldn't find out? Why did Voldemort want them all dead?

Serena hurried down the hallway, heading towards the owlery. Upon reaching it, she conjured up a quill and parchment and hurriedly wrote a note to her brother.

**Al –**

**I really hope you and Uncle are having some luck finding out what V wants with our family. Lestrange and Bellatrix Black accosted me at the Valentine's Day Ball. They said that he has a special interest in me – and in you. And when I asked what he wanted with us, they just laughed. They couldn't believe that we didn't know. Lestrange and Bellatrix know what he wants with us, I'm sure of it.**

**Do you really not know, Al? Or are you and Uncle just keeping it from me? If you know you better tell me, because you're not protecting me by keeping me in the dark.**

**Write back soon so that I know you're okay.**

**- Serena**

Serena tied her note to one of the school owl's legs and felt better. If Al knew, after getting her note he would definitely tell her. Of course, if he didn't know……

Serena was startled by a loud noise. It sounded like someone else was coming up the stairs to the owlery. Gripping her wand in her hand, Serena pointed it at the door as it creaked open, then found Sirius standing in front of her.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's you."

Sirius was inspecting her carefully. She looked much better now than she had when Lestrange and his cousin were talking to her. Her face didn't look so pale anymore. Sirius had looked over to see Lestrange, Bellatrix, and Serena in a corner. He had strode over just in time to see Lestrange grab Serena's necklace and run a finger down her cheek before Serena pushed him away and he called her a bitch.

Why wouldn't they leave her alone? That was the thought that Sirius kept mulling over as McGonagall yelled at and lectured him in her office. He thought back to their conversation on the train. Serena had said that Voldemort and his Death Eaters – and Sirius was sure that Lestrange, and probably Bellatrix as well, were Death Eaters – were ruining her life, and that they were still trying to. What had she meant by that?

"Why were they bothering you?" Sirius finally asked.

Serena answered him carefully. She wasn't sure how much Sirius had heard, and she didn't want to explain it if she didn't have to. "It's Lestrange and Bellatrix," Serena said with a shrug. "They hate me."

Sirius didn't look happy with her answer. "When we talked on the train," he said slowly. "You said that Voldemort had ruined your life. Then you said that he was still trying to. What did you mean?"

Serena felt herself calm down. Sirius hadn't heard what Lestrange and Bellatrix had said to her; if he had, he would have mentioned it. "His Death Eaters attacked my brother and my uncle," Serena said. "I'm afraid they might try again."

This was partly true, and all of Serena's friends already knew about it. Sirius frowned. What was she not telling him?

Serena stood on her tiptoes and gave Sirius a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for jinxing Lestrange," she said.

Sirius' frown deepened. Serena was holding something back, but she obviously had no intention of telling him. He decided to let it go. "You're welcome," he replied.

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Serena made her way back to her dorm and found Madison, Lily, Rosie, Isabelle, and Alice all still awake. "Are you okay?" Lily asked her as soon as she walked into the room.

"I'm fine," Serena said. "It was no big deal."

She grinned at Lily. "The last time we ran into them was a lot worse."

Lily smiled reluctantly. "I guess you're right," she said, her concern for Serena ebbing.

Serena looked at her friends. Lily was sitting on the floor, Madison and Rosie had already changed out of their dresses, Isabelle was taking the pins out of Lily's hair, and Alice was – "Oh my gosh," Serena said, staring at her friend. "You had sex!"

Alice jumped. "What?"

Lily, Madison, Isabelle, and Rosie all turned to look at their friend. Alice was flushing a bright red, and Madison grinned. "She did, look at her!" Madison crowed.

"Was it your first time?" Rosie asked.

"Was it with Frank?" Isabelle queried.

Alice, Rosie, Madison, Lily, and Serena all stared at her. "I was just asking!" Isabelle said defensively.

"Of course it was with Frank," Alice said, sounding a bit put out.

She clapped a hand over her mouth after realizing what she had said, and her friends started laughing and squealing and talking all at once.

"I knew it!" Serena cried.

"Was he any good?" Madison wanted to know.

"Did you plan for it to happen tonight?" Lily asked.

"On Valentine's Day, that's so romantic!" Rosie sighed.

"Come on, Alice, tell us!" Isabelle demanded.

"All right, all right," Alice said, overwhelmed. "Yes, it was my first – and it was with Frank," she said, shooting Isabelle a glare. "And we didn't verbally plan it, but I think we both kinda thought it would happen tonight."

"Was he any good?" Madison asked, repeating her earlier question.

Alice blushed. "I don't really have anything to compare it to," she said.

Madison looked disappointed, but then Alice grinned. "But I thought it was pretty good."

Serena squealed and hugged her friend. "I'm so happy for you, then!"

"Have any of you done it?" Alice asked.

Rosie and Isabelle shook their heads, but Madison and Serena nodded. "Who?" Madison and Serena asked each other at the same time.

Serena pointed at Madison. "You first."

"Okay," Madison said. "It was last summer. I went on a cruise with my parents to Greece, and I met a Greek wizard at one of the ports. That was the only time I've ever done it, though."

"A portside romance, that's so sweet," Rosie said.

Madison rolled her eyes. "If you say so. What about you?" she asked Serena.

Serena smiled. "His name is Henri," she said. "He goes to Beauxbatons. We dated for almost a year, then just decided to go for it. We broke up a little while after, and then I moved here," she said. "But he's the only guy I've ever done it with."

"Do you still talk to him?" Isabelle asked.

Serena nodded. "Once in awhile. And he sent me flowers today."

The girls all turned to look at Lily, who had been conspicuously silent through their entire conversation. "Have you ever done it, Lils?" Serena asked her friend.

Lily twirled a piece of hair around her finger. "Um – no."

Madison looked shocked. "You _haven't_?"

"No," Lily said, sounding a bit defensive. "We've talked about it, and we both want to, but we just never have. People are always around, and – "

"If you want, we could all leave right now and tell James to come on up," Serena offered with a sly grin.

Lily threw a pillow at her as Madison, Alice, Rosie, and Isabelle burst into laughter.

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_**Author's Note: **_**Review! Please? I'll give you a cookie……**


	7. Secrets, Secrets, Are No Fun

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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A few days after the ball, everyone was happy except for Serena and Sirius. Frank and Alice had taken their relationship to the next level; James and Lily were their usual lovey-dovey selves; Remus and Madison had both been suspiciously absent as of late; Isabelle had been spending more time with the Ravenclaw sixth year she had met at the ball, Gregory; Rosie and Peter were their usual selves; but Serena and Sirius were growing increasingly irritated.

Susan wouldn't leave Sirius alone. After he had spoken with Serena, he had gone back to the ball and found Susan. The two of them had found an empty classroom and had had a good time, but Sirius had no interest in anything further. They hadn't had _that_ good of a time. He had been avoiding Susan as best he could, but she just wouldn't take the hint.

Similarly, Edgar wanted Serena to be his girlfriend. Serena had made out with him at the ball a little, but that had been it. And he hadn't been that great of a kisser, anyway. She had absolutely no intention of becoming Edgar's girlfriend, but apparently Edgar didn't give up easy.

Sirius sat down next to Serena at a table in the Great Hall for breakfast. "Susan won't leave me alone," he complained to Serena.

Serena scowled. "Edgar won't leave me alone either."

"Why can't people just take a hint?" Sirius asked.

Serena shook her head. "I don't know."

She yawned. "Did you finish the Transfiguration homework?" she asked.

"Yeah. It took a bloody long time, though."

"I was up half the night – oh, no," Serena said, spotting Edgar heading over. "I am so not awake enough to deal with him right now. Hide me."

Serena tried to scoot behind Sirius but as they were sitting on a bench, it didn't really work out. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Serena sighed, realizing her attempt to avoid seeing Edgar was futile. "Serena, there you are!" Edgar boomed out, coming over to her and Sirius.

Sirius tried to smother his grin but didn't quite manage it, causing Serena to glare at him and kick him under the table. "I've been looking everywhere for you," Edgar continued. "Why didn't you wait for me? We could have had breakfast together."

He frowned slightly at Sirius, who stared at him insolently. "I'm sorry," Serena said, her voice not very convincing. "I was just really hungry."

Sirius snorted at her lame excuse, then belatedly tried to cover it with a cough. Serena glared, then saw someone standing behind Siruis that caused her to smile. Sirius turned and found Susan standing there. "Sirius, there you are!" she said, sounding like the female version of Edgar.

Edgar sat down next to Serena, and Susan sat down next to Sirius. "Help," Sirius murmured to Serena out of the corner of his mouth.

"I can't," she muttered back.

"So about this weekend – " Edgar began. "I was thinking that first we could go – "

_I can't take it, can't take it, can't take it! _Serena thought. _I'm going to explode!_

" – and then we can spend some time with my friends, because they really want to meet you; you are my new girlfriend, after all," Edgar continued. "And I was thinking that over the summer – "

Suddenly Serena stood up. "I just remembered," she said.

"Remember what?" Edgar asked, looking slightly irritated.

Serena drew a blank. "Uh – "

"That we have to finish the Transfiguration essay," Sirius lied smoothly, also standing up. "We wanted to compare our main ideas. It's due today."

Serena nodded. "Yes, it's very important. See you around."

She and Sirius practically ran out of the hall, leaving a very annoyed Edgar and Susan in their wake. Once they reached the staircase, they burst into laughter. "Did you see their faces?" Sirius asked.

"Oh, they were getting so mad!" Serena said laughingly.

"Why don't you just break up with Edgar?" Sirius asked her.

"Why don't you just break up with Susan?" Serena countered.

They frowned at each other. "I've tried to tell Edgar I don't want to be his girlfriend," Serena said. "But he just disregards it. I don't really even think he's listening."

"And I've tried to break up with Susan," Sirius said. "But the girl's harder to shake than a tick off a dog."

Serena wrinkled her nose. "Nice metaphor."

Sirius grinned. "Thanks."

They continued walking down the hall. "So what are we going to do?" Serena asked, sounding a bit desperate.

Sirius slung an arm around her shoulders. "Buy Invisibility Cloaks?" he suggested.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Now there's an idea."

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The next day, a notice from Dumbledore was posted outside the Great Hall.

**Notice to all sixth year students:**

**A Ministry official will be conducting Apparation lessons for those students who wish to learn this skill. The first lesson takes place Saturday morning at ten o'clock outside the front steps.**

"Finally!" James said. "I've been waiting to learn how to Apparate for years."

Sirius and Peter nodded in agreement. "This summer will be so great if we all learn how to Apparate," Lily said.

"Yeah, we can all agree to meet somewhere and then bam! There we are," Isabelle enthused.

Serena didn't seem as excited, and Madison nudged her. "Aren't you excited?" she asked her friend.

Serena summoned a smile. "Of course I am! Maybe I can Apparate somewhere else whenever I see Edgar coming."

They all laughed.

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That night, Serena tossed and turned, unable to sleep. _I'm just going to have to be mean. I'm going to have to tell him that I don't want to be his girlfriend – or see him ever again. He's just getting annoying. Why can't he take a hint?_

Her thoughts drifted towards the Apparation lessons. Madison had been right on the money – Serena wasn't as excited as her friends. The truth was, Serena already knew how to Apparate. After their father had died, Al had been of age and had taken the test. After had received his license, he and Serena's uncle had started teaching Serena how to Apparate. Last year, Serena had managed to successfully do it for the first time. Her brother and uncle had thought it to be yet another necessary skill – and Serena now saw that they hoped that if she needed to, she could Apparate to escape from Voldemort and his Death Eaters if she was ever under attack. She wasn't of age, which meant it was illegal, and Serena didn't want to get her brother or uncle in trouble so she never Apparated, but now she was going to have to pretend that she didn't know how at the Apparation lessons.

Sometimes Serena got tired of pretending. Except when she was with her brother or uncle, Serena could never completely relax and be herself. Even around her friends, she had to guard her words. She didn't want them to know that Voldemort was hunting her family and that she was scared for her brother and for herself every single day.

_But why? Why don't I confide in my friends?_ Serena asked herself. _They're my friends. Lily's my best friend. I trust her. I trust all of them. Lily, Sirius, James, Madison, Remus, Alice, Izzy, Rosie, Peter……even Frank. So why do I keep these walls that I've built around myself up?_

Serena punched her pillow. She just wanted to get to sleep.

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That Saturday, all of the sixth years made their way outside for their first Apparation lesson. Serena and Sirius were both in much better moods; Serena had told Edgar she didn't want to be his girlfriend and that she didn't think they should hang out anymore, and Sirius had told Susan to bugger off. Both of them had come away feeling free and extremely pleased. If anything, the both of them were now even more wary of serious relationships.

Serena stood between Lily and Madison, listening to the instructor's directions. After a half hour lecture, they were all supposed to try it. Big hoops were set up, and the students were supposed to Apparate through them.

Two hours later, the lesson was over and no one had successfully Apparated. Serena had spent the whole time closing her eyes and pretending to think about Apparating like every other student on the lawn. "I can't believe nobody managed to Apparate," Lily said.

"Yeah, you'd think someone would have at least splinched themselves," Sirius commented wistfully.

James shrugged. "You can't have everything."

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That night, Serena and her friends were down in the Great Hall eating dinner. "Where's Remus?" Serena asked Madison.

Madison frowned slightly. "In the hospital wing," she said.

"He sure spends a lot of time there," Serena commented.

James, Sirius, and Peter didn't say anything. Serena frowned. Something about Remus' hospital visits didn't add up. He did spend a lot of time there – practically every month, once Serena thought about it. And –

Serena's thoughts were cut off as an owl brought her a letter. She recognized it as her brother's owl, but he never sent her notes on a Saturday night. Serena opened the letter apprehensively.

**S –**

**We have a new house now. I moved, and we've made the new house Unplottable. Don't tell anyone except for your friends – and tell them not to tell anyone our address.**

**Don't worry, there wasn't another attack. Uncle received some information that made him think V was going to attack us, so he helped me move.**

**Don't worry. Everything's fine. Uncle will tell Dumbledore the address, and Dumbledore will tell you. I don't want to write it here – you never know who's reading the mail.**

**- A**

Serena put the letter down, playing with her pendant absent-mindedly. It sounded like everything was okay. So they had to move. So what? At least they were all right.

"Bad news?" Sirius asked.

Serena shook her head. "No."

She didn't say anything else, and her friends all exchanged looks before continuing to eat their dinner. Serena was thankful that they decided not to question her about it.

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Serena couldn't sleep again. She rolled over in bed, looking out the window. The full moon shone brightly, and – suddenly Serena's thoughts were drawn to Remus.

_Full moon. Remus is gone. Sick every month – oh my gosh. No, it can't be. No one can keep a secret this huge._

Serena jumped out of bed and grabbed her Defense Against the Dark Arts book. She flipped to the chapter on werewolves, and found her suspicions confirmed. _Can I be right? Could Remus really be a werewolf?_

First thing tomorrow, Serena intended to find out.

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The next morning, Serena skipped breakfast and went straight to the hospital wing. Remus was lying on a cot, and he was alone. He was reading a magazine when Serena came in. "Hey Serena," he greeted her.

"Hey."

She took out her wand and performed a Sound-Proofing Charm around Remus' bed. Serena sat down in the chair next to Remus' bed. "Remus, did you ever plan on telling me that you are a werewolf?"

Remus froze, and Serena knew then that it was true. Remus Lupin was a werewolf. "How did you know?" he asked.

"It just all clicked last night, while I was trying to fall asleep – the visits to the hospital wing every month, the full moon, the symptoms before and after – Remus, how could you keep such a big secret? Dumbledore knows, right? He's got to. And Madam Pomfrey. Who else knows?"

Remus suddenly looked tired and weary. "James, Sirius, Peter, and Lily. Besides my parents, Professor Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, and now you, those are the only people who know."

"How did they find out?" Serena asked, reaching out to cover Remus' hand with her own.

"Same way as you," he said. "They put it together and guessed."

"This must be so hard for you," Serena said.

"Uh, Serena – you won't – tell anyone – "

"Oh, of course not," Serena reassured him.

She paused. "Remus, how do you do it?" she suddenly asked.

He looked confused. "Do what? Transform?"

Serena shook her head. "No. How do you keep this a secret from everyone? From Madison? Don't you get tired of having to watch what you say, of always keeping a part of yourself separate?"

"I don't have to all the time," he said. "James, Sirius, and Peter are my best friends, and they all know the truth about me."

He looked at Serena closely. "Were you talking about me, or about yourself?"

Serena looked away. "I don't know."

"It helps to talk about it," he said. "To share the burden. I didn't think it would – I thought I had to deal with this on my own and that even if my friends knew, there was nothing they could do so why bother them? But it helps."

Serena looked Remus in the eye. "Voldemort is after my family," she said. "And I don't know what to do."

To her surprise, it felt good to say it out loud, to confide her fears in another person. "Go on," Remus encouraged.

Suddenly the words flowed. "He – or his supporters, we don't know exactly – killed my mother when I was eight," she said. "My father moved us to America because he thought we'd be safe. At the time, we thought Voldemort was after my mother because she had been a high-level Department of Mysteries official at the Ministry."

"But that wasn't it?" Remus asked.

Serena shook her head. "No. Right after I turned thirteen my father was murdered. That's when my brother Al moved us back to Europe. Europe was our home, and Al and my uncle realized that Voldemort could find us anywhere we went, so we might as well go home. We moved around a lot, and I went to Durmstrang for a year, then Beauxbatons for two, and then Dumbledore and my uncle convinced us to move back to England so that I could attend Hogwarts."

"But since you've moved back, there have been more attacks," Remus said, remembering how upset Serena had been when she had found out that her uncle and brother had had to fight off Death Eaters.

"Yes. The one that my uncle and my brother fought off……and my brother lent his car to a friend, and that friend was killed. We think it's because the Death Eaters thought it was my brother inside the car. My uncle and my brother think that Voldemort is after my entire family. He wants us all dead, and we still don't know why. Al and Uncle are trying to figure it out – that's the real reason we moved back to Europe. Al wants to seek revenge for my parents' murders, and so do I."

Remus put his hand over Serena's. "I won't tell anyone," he said. "You know that."

"I know," Serena said.

She smiled at Remus. "Thanks for listening."

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That night at dinner, the Marauders all seemed to be sneaking glances at Serena. "What?" she finally asked them.

"Nothing," James said.

Serena didn't believe him, but she went back to eating her dinner. When she was done and she moved to get up, James, Sirius, and Peter jumped up as well. "We'll go with you back to the common room," Peter volunteered.

"Actually, I was going to go to the library," Serena said.

"What a coincidence, that's where we're headed, too," Sirius lied.

They pulled Serena to a dark corner of the hallway in front of the stairs. "Remus told us that you know," James said.

Serena raised an eyebrow. "That I know what?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap. You know that we know that you know."

"Fine. So?"

"So……" Sirius trailed off, looking to Peter and James.

"You're okay with it, right?" James asked.

Serena glared. "What, you think I would be prejudiced against him? Remus is my friend."

Peter and James glanced towards Sirius, and Serena felt herself grow angry. "Just because I misjudged Sirius does not mean I will do the same to Remus. Besides, I have nothing against – his kind. Just Dark wizards."

"You do have an unnatural hatred towards them," James remarked.

"How is it unnatural to hate someone evil?" Serena asked, incensed.

James held up his hands. "Okay, okay. You're perfectly normal."

"Except for being so short," Sirius added.

James, Peter, and Sirius snorted with laughter, and Serena glared at them. Far from having the desired effect, this only intensified their laughter. "Oh, shove it, all of you," Serena snapped.

She stalked off towards the library.

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Serena was working on a Herbology essay when Lily came in and sat down next to her. "Hey Lily," Serena said, surprised. "What brings you down here?"

Lily shrugged. "Remus told me that you know," she said.

"Yeah."

The girls were silent for a moment. "You're not – mad at me for keeping it from you, are you?" Lily finally asked.

"No, of course not," Serena reassured her. "I know that you couldn't tell anyone."

"That's right. Because you know that I would never keep a secret from you if I could help it. You're my best friend, Serena."

Serena slowly put down her quill. "What did Remus say to you?" she asked.

Lily held up her hands defensively. "He didn't say anything to me. He didn't have to. We all know that you're keeping a secret, Serena, and we don't press you about it. We – I – keep thinking that once you trust me, you'll tell me."

Serena felt bad. "Lily, that's not it," she protested. "I trust you, all of you. I do. I'm just not used to – sharing."

"But that's what friends do," Lily told her.

Serena looked at Lily consideringly. "All right."

She repeated what she had told Remus. Once she was finished, Lily gave Serena a hug. "Al will be okay," she said.

Lily had spent a lot of time at Serena's house over Christmas break. Her sister Petunia and her fiancée Vernon had been at the Evans home for the Christmas holiday as well, so Lily had stayed at James or Serena's houses as often as she could. Lily had met Al several times, and Serena had been pleased that the two had hit it off.

"I hope so," Serena said, fingering her pendant.

She didn't know what she'd do if Lily was wrong.

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The following day, Serena made her way to Professor Dumbledore's office. She knocked lightly on the door. "Enter!" came Dumbledore's voice.

Serena walked into his office, closed the door behind her, and sat down. "Miss Ashby," he said. "How nice to see you again."

"Oh, um, thanks, Professor Dumbledore," Serena said. "You too."

"What can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling pleasantly at her.

"My brother told me that you have my new address," Serena said.

"Yes, I was expecting you to come and ask me for it," he said. "I just spoke with Alastor – your uncle, that is, not your brother – the other day."

He gave Serena the address. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Ashby?" he asked.

Serena shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

Dumbledore looked at her seriously. "If you ever need anyone to talk to, or if you need any help, you can always come to me," he said.

Serena stood up. "Thank you," she said. "I'll keep that in mind."

After she left, closing the door behind her, Dumbledore sat back in his chair. He had a pretty good guess as to why Voldemort had such an interest in the Ashby family, but he didn't know for sure why he was killing them off. He hadn't told his friend Alastor, Serena's uncle, his suspicions yet; he wanted to be sure first.

Dumbledore heaved a sigh. He hoped his suspicions were wrong.

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The following week, Serena, Lily, Alice, Frank, Isabelle, Rosie, Madison, and the Marauders were lounging around eating candy in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius' birthday had been the day before, and Serena was pretty sure that almost every girl in the castle had sent him some type of sweets – most of them heart-shaped candies. Finding this all extremely amusing, Sirius' friends had settled down to eat as much as they could.

"Did you get anything from Susan?" Peter wanted to know.

Sirius shook his head. "I think she's still mad at me."

"I can't believe you just told her to 'bugger off'," Lily said, shaking her head. "You should really be more sensitive."

"Come on, Lil, I'm a sensitive guy," Sirius said with a grin.

Lily pressed her lips together, trying not to smile. Sirius could really make anyone smile with that grin of his. "Don't worry," he continued. "I won't let anyone else eat those heart-shaped chocolates you got me. That's sensitive, right?"

He winked at her. "What?" James asked, scowling at his friend.

"He said that Lily got him heart-shaped chocolates," Serena said in a helpful tone.

"Just like the other girls in Sirius' fan club," Madison added.

Lily and James glared at Serena and Madison, who looked back at them innocently. "No she didn't," Rosie said. "Right, Lily?"

Lily looked uncomfortable. "Well – "

"You did?" James asked, sounding shocked. "What?"

Sirius, Serena, and Madison exchanged grins. Trouble was certainly brewing, and as usual the three friends found it incredibly amusing. "Oh, calm down, James," Lily snapped, sounding annoyed. "I did it as a joke."

James eyed her suspiciously. Lily threw up her hands. "Fine. Don't believe me," she said, stalking off.

James looked around at his friends. "That was stupid," Madison said.

"You better run after her and apologize," Frank said with the air of one imparting great wisdom.

After James left, Sirius, Madison, and Serena collapsed into laughter. "It wasn't that funny," Isabelle scolded them.

She looked around for backup. Remus, Peter, and Frank were covering smiles with their hands, but Alice nodded. "It really wasn't," Alice said.

"It's not our fault James is so easy to rile up," Serena said. "It's so ridiculous. Sirius and Lily? Give me a break!"

"Why is that so ridiculous?" Sirius asked in a mock-hurt tone.

"Because she's in love with James!" Isabelle said.

"And you're a big ugly prat," Serena added.

Sirius sighed loudly and dramatically. "You're just angry because you're small."

Serena glared. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Sirius grinned. Serena was now starting to get angry. "That's right. You're small," he told her smugly.

Madison and Remus exchanged grins behind Serena's back. "I am _not_ small. You make me sound like a little kid."

"Stand up," Sirius suggested.

She did, and he stood as well. "Stand in front of me," Sirius ordered.

Serena complied reluctantly. "Tell her how short she is," Sirius said from behind her.

"The top of your head only reaches Sirius' chest," Remus told Serena, his voice almost apologetic.

Serena scowled at him. "I am _not_ small," she repeated. "Sirius is just big."

Her friends all tried to hide their laughter, but were unsuccessful. Serena just glared.

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_**Author's Note:**_** Review, review. Then I will love you. I'm a poet and I don't even know it. AHAHAHAHA. I know, I'm hilarious. **

**No?**

**All right, all right, I'll just go back to writing now.**


	8. The Truth Comes Out

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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A few weeks later, Serena and Lily were sitting with Remus. It was that time of the month, so he was in the hospital wing again. They had been discussing Apparation lessons. The last two had been cancelled because the Ministry official that had been conducting them had disappeared. This was happening more and more lately, and of course Voldemort and his Death Eaters were the main suspects. Dumbledore said he had found a new instructor, and she would start teaching them on this upcoming Saturday.

"I'm glad Dumbledore found someone else," Lily was saying. "I think I'm ready this time."

"Me too," Remus said.

"Really?" Serena asked. "After only two lessons?"

"If Nancy McKinnon can manage to splinch herself, I think I can manage to Apparate," Lily said, sounding irritated. "I can't believe she was the first one to splinch."

"It's not like that's something to be proud of," Remus said.

"What do you have against Nancy McKinnon?" Serena asked.

Lily gave a loud sniff. "Nothing."

But Remus grinned. "James dated Nancy McKinnon last year," he informed Serena. "Right before he started dating Lily."

"That's not why I don't like her," Lily said, sounding haughty.

But Remus kept grinning at her. "Yes it is. James only did it to make you jealous, you know."

"Looks like his plan worked," Serena commented.

Lily glared at her friend. Just then, the door opened and James and Sirius came in. They stopped, looking surprised to see Lily and Serena already there. "Hey," Sirius said.

James looked at Remus and Serena, who were smiling widely. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, we were just talking about Nancy McKinnon," Serena said.

James and Sirius grinned.

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That Saturday, Serena made her way outside with the rest of her friends. It was time for their Apparation lesson with their new instructor. Upon catching sight of her, Sirius let loose with a whistle. He elbowed James. "New teacher's a hottie," he said.

James, Remus, Frank, and Peter all craned their necks to see, causing Lily, Madison, and Alice to glare at them reprovingly. James, Frank, and Remus offered the girls sheepish smiles. "C'mon," Sirius said to Peter, and the two elbowed their way to the front of the crowd of sixth years.

"I can't believe them," Serena hissed at Lily.

"I know," Lily whispered back.

"Men are pigs," Alice added.

Madison raised an eyebrow. "Men?"

The girls giggled.

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After an hour, Serena was growing increasingly annoyed. Sirius was _flirting_ with their _instructor_. The woman had to be at least seven years older than him. "He's making himself look like an idiot," Serena hissed at Lily for the tenth time.

Lily gave her friend an amused look. "Why do you care?" she asked.

Serena didn't like what Lily was implying. "I don't," Serena said. "It's just that I feel embarrassed for him."

"Right," Lily said.

Serena glared at Lily as Sirius sauntered over to them. "Either of you manage to Apparate yet?" he asked.

"No," Lily said. "You?"

"No. I'm thinking I may need private lessons," he said with a grin.

Serena snorted. "What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just think it's kinda of sad, really, that you think you need private lessons. I mean, no one else needs any special help."

"No one else has managed to Apparate," Sirius pointed out.

"It's not that hard," Serena said haughtily.

Sirius felt himself growing mad. Just what was Serena so upset about? "Let's see you do it, then," he snapped at her.

She glared at him. "Fine, I will," she said, her temper getting the best of her.

She closed her eyes and, with a loud crack, Apparated and ended up on the other side of the hoop. Serena shook her hair back, looking at Sirius defiantly, when she suddenly realized that every sixth year student was looking at her. _Oh, shit_, Serena thought.

Their pretty, perky instructor came over to Serena. "Excellent job!" she congratulated her. "What's your name?"

"Serena Ashby," Serena replied after a brief hesitation.

"Class, you could learn a lot from Miss Ashby," she said, raising her voice so that everyone could hear.

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After class, Serena's friends ambushed her. "How'd you learn to do that?" James asked.

"I just……concentrated really hard," Serena lied.

Lily and Sirius gave her disbelieving looks. "That was amazing!" Isabelle squealed.

"Can you teach us how to do it?" Rosie asked.

"No," Serena said. "Just concentrate really hard, like the instructor said. Then all of the sudden, it just works."

She started walking back to the castle quickly. Remus and Lily fell into step beside her. Sirius and James frowned at the three of them as they whispered together. "Ever feel like they know something we don't?" James asked Sirius.

"Like they're in on some secret that we don't know about?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

"Exactly."

Sirius scowled.

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The next week Serena, who was sitting with Sirius, Remus, and Lily, felt the usual relief at seeing her brother's owl coming towards her. She opened it eagerly.

**Hey Kid – **

**I got another owl about you. This time it said that you were the first in your class to Apparate. Now how did you manage that, I wonder? Just be careful.**

**Everything's fine here. I've been keeping a low profile and so far, so good. I don't think V has been able to find out the address of our new home, although I understand that you have.**

**I'm going to be – away – for awhile. I don't want to say much here. Uncle will still be around if you need anything. I know that school's out for you in two months, and I'll be at the train station to pick you up. The reason I'm telling you this is because I may not be able to send you owls are frequently. I don't want you to worry. I'll write when I can.**

**Take care of yourself, and don't take any risks. In other words, don't be yourself. Be cautious.**

**- Al**

Serena read the letter twice. _Al is okay,_ she told herself. _And he'll continue to be okay. That's all that matters._

Serena knew that now she'd worry for longer periods of time until she received another letter from her brother, but it couldn't be helped. Both Serena and Al wanted revenge for their parents' deaths – it was why they had returned to Europe. It now seemed that they would have to fight for their own lives as well.

"What'd Al say?" Lily asked Serena.

Serena sighed. "Just not to worry about him."

"That's all?" Remus asked, giving Serena a look.

Serena snuck a glance at Sirius, then looked back down at the letter. "Well – " she started hesitatingly.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Sirius interrupted.

"What's the matter, Padfoot?" Remus asked, sounding confused.

"Why don't you just ask me to leave?" Sirius asked mockingly. "You three are all in on something that the rest of us aren't. We all know it. And I am getting sick and tired of you three exchanging looks when we're all around, then running off to whisper together."

"Sirius – " Lily began.

He stood up. "Maybe we should just come up with a code," he said. "Something happens that you three want to keep secret, and you can just say 'Wimbourne Wasps', and then I'll know it's code for me to leave. What do you think?"

"Sirius – " Remus tried.

"No. I know it's you," he said, jabbing a finger at Serena accusingly. "Was everything you said to me on the train bullshit? About trying to be friends?"

Sirius didn't know why he was so angry; he just was. He hated that Serena was keeping something from him, and that Remus and Lily knew what it was. "No, it wasn't bullshit," Serena said, also standing up.

"You do this all the time – "

"You're just angry because – "

" – and don't care about how anyone else feels – "

" – have this urge to know everything about everyone – "

"Stop it!" Lily yelled.

Sirius and Serena were standing only inches from each other, screaming into each other's faces. They had stopped shouting when Lily had yelled at them, and Remus moved in between the two. "Sit. Down," Lily said, carefully enunciating her words.

Serena and Sirius sat, but Remus and Lily remained standing. "Sirius, I don't know what your problem is," Lily said, "But Serena's problems are her own. You can't force someone to share themselves with you."

"And she's not singling you out," Remus said. "Madison or James or Isabelle or any of the others don't know, either."

Sirius didn't say anything, but his jaw was clenched and arms were crossed. Serena sighed. "Sirius – " she reached out tentatively. "You are one of my best friends."

Sirius snorted in disbelief, and Serena found her anger reignited. "Fine. Fine!" she yelled, standing up again.

She hurled her letter at Sirius. "Read it," she commanded.

Sirius took the letter in his hands but didn't look at it. His eyes were on Serena. "Read it!" she snapped, her voice growing louder.

Sirius shot a quick look at Remus and Lily before reading the letter. Once he had finished, he looked back up at Serena, his face expressionless. Serena snatched the letter back, then turned and left the Gryffindor common room. Without a word to Remus or Lily, Sirius followed.

"Serena!" he called as she strode away.

Her pace quickened as she kept walking. Sirius had to jog to catch up to her, putting a hand on her arm. "Serena, wait," he said.

She stopped, pulling her arm away from Sirius and crossing her arms over her chest. "What? What do you want from me?" she asked him.

The anger was gone from her voice, and in its place was weariness. "I want – "

Sirius stopped, not sure what to say. "Go ahead," Serena said, wrapping her arms around herself. "Ask away. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"What's 'Al' short for?"

Sirius didn't know why that question had popped out of his mouth first. Serena looked surprised. "Alastor," she replied.

"Alastor? Where'd your parents come up with a name like that?"

Serena relaxed a bit. "He's named after my mother's brother," she said.

"The uncle mentioned in the letter?"

"Yes."

"Alastor – wait a minute," Sirius said slowly, as if he were working something out in his mind. "Didn't you say your uncle was an Auror?"

"Yeah, so?"

"What's your uncle's last name?"

"Moody."

"Your uncle is Mad-Eye Moody?" Sirius practically shouted.

"Sssh!" Serena said, glancing around. "Nobody knows about that. Well, except for Dumbledore, of course. And don't call him that."

"No one knows? Not even Remus or Lily?"

"Yes, that's right," Serena said scathingly. "You're the only one who knows. Congratulations."

"Serena – " Sirius began.

"No," Serena interrupted. "Keep going. What else do you want to know?"

Sirius didn't say anything. "Oh, come on, Sirius," Serena said, her voice mocking. "What else? There's got to be more. Come on, Sirius, this is your chance. Ask me."

"Why did you move?"

"Because Voldemort tried to kill my brother twice."

There was a pause before Serena spoke again. "Come on, Sirius. Next question."

"How did your parents die?"

"Voldemort killed them."

"Why did you move back here?"

"So Al could find out which Death Eaters murdered my parents and we could get revenge."

"Is that the real reason you didn't like me?"

"Yes, and I told you that. It might get complicated if we find out it's your family that killed my parents."

Sirius looked taken aback. "What's the matter, Sirius?" Serena taunted. "I thought you wanted to know the truth. Any more questions?"

"Yeah. How long have you been able to Apparate?"

Serena looked surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered. "I managed it for the first time last year."

"Why?"

"In case I needed to make a quick escape. My brother and uncle believe that Voldemort is after my entire family. Al and I are all that's left. And Voldemort wants us dead. Tell me, Sirius, how many people survive once Voldemort decides he wants them dead?"

Sirius put his hands on her shoulders. "That's not going to happen to you," he said, his eyes serious on hers.

Serena gave him a small smile. "You don't know that, Sirius," she said.

With that, she turned and walked away.

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It was a week later. Serena had told everyone – Madison, Alice, Rosie, Isabelle, James, Peter – her fears about Voldemort. Remus had been right; she did feel better. It felt good to know that the people that she cared about listened to and cared about her as well.

Sirius was still the only one who knew that her uncle was Alastor Moody. Serena and Sirius talked to each other, but each acted with utmost politeness towards the other. Serena wasn't angry with him, exactly. She didn't know what she felt about Sirius.

_I was telling him the truth before. I do consider him to be one of my best friends. I care about and respect him, and he can always make me laugh. And I trust him completely._

_But that fight we had……it feels like he forced me into telling him. I know that I had a choice, but – it still feels forced. And I think Sirius feels that way, too, or else why would he be acting the way he does around me? There's definitely awkwardness there._

_I think the worst part of it is that I still find him as sexy as I did the first time I saw him. It's not like I want to date him; we're friends, nothing more. But I feel a little weird about having this crush on him._

Serena hadn't told anyone, not even Lily, that she had realized that she had a crush on Sirius. It felt way too weird, and talking about it would only make it more real.

_And I am definitely not going to get involved with Sirius Black in that way._

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Sirius scowled at the ceiling of his room. He couldn't sleep; he kept thinking about Serena.

After she had told him everything, she had told everyone else as well. Sirius had been there when she had told them all, and she hadn't told them that her uncle was Mad-Eye Moody. That was one little secret that only he and Serena shared.

They had been behaving awkwardly around each other after their fight. Neither one wanted to make a sudden move, it seemed, and risk losing the other. Sirius didn't know how to diffuse the tension.

But Serena's parting words were still bothering him. _I know she's scared about Voldemort attacking her and her brother_, Sirius thought. _Nowadays, most people are. But she seems so sure that it's going to happen, that there's no escaping it. That's what's bothering me. I consider Serena to be a good friend, and I don't want to think that she could get killed. It's almost worse to know that it's coming, to wake up every day and think, 'Today's the day it could happen'._

_Oh, admit it already!_ Another voice in his head piped up. _You like her._

Sirius sighed. Yes, the attraction he had first felt for Serena had come back full swing. He didn't know if it had ever actually gone away, and he felt a bit awkward lusting after his friend. He couldn't lose her as a friend; he knew that. So Sirius didn't plan on making a move on her.

_But still. Having this crush makes it damn awkward sometimes._

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Madison was acting strangely. It was a week later, and Serena had just gotten back from visiting Remus in the hospital wing. When Serena tried talking to her friend, Madison wouldn't look her in the eye. She muttered something about homework and then left Serena standing alone.

Serena made her way over to Peter and James. "Do either of you know what's going on with Madison?" she asked them.

They looked at each other quizzically, and both shrugged. "No. Why?" Peter asked.

"She's just acting weird," Serena replied.

Serena got up and went to her dorm room. Rosie, Isabelle, Lily, and Madison were already there. "Hey," Serena greeted them.

Madison didn't say anything. "Madison, what's going on with you?" Serena asked, exasperated. "You've been ignoring me all day."

"I have not," Madison said defensively.

"Yes you have," Rosie put in. "We've all noticed."

Madison scowled. "Do you like Remus?" she asked Serena.

Serena looked confused. "Of course I do. He's my friend."

"No," Madison said. "I mean, do you _like_ Remus."

"Oh – no! Of course not, we – "

"Because you're always there," she said. "In the hospital wing."

"So am I," Lily said in defense of Serena.

"Yeah, but you have a boyfriend," Madison pointed out.

"So, what, because I don't, I must be a threat to you? I don't feel that way about Remus, Madison," Serena said, sounding annoyed. "I can't believe you think that I would do that to you."

"Besides, I thought you didn't want to get serious with anyone," Isabelle said to Madison.

"I don't," Madison said, not sounding very sure of herself. "Remus and I agreed it isn't serious. I just – was wondering."

Serena felt her irritation leave. Poor Madison. "Madison……it's okay if you change your mind," Serena said.

But Madison shook her head. "No, we agreed. I can't just change my mind."

"Yes you can," Lily said encouragingly. "Trust me, Remus definitely won't mind."

"You think?" Madison asked her friends hopefully.

"What, are you blind?" Serena asked. "The only reason he said he'd keep it casual is because he thought you wouldn't date him at all otherwise."

"Come on, this is Remus we're talking about, not Sirius," Rosie said. "You've got nothing to worry about, Maddie."

Madison looked more cheerful.

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"No."

"Come on, Moony," James cajoled.

"It's my decision. And I say no."

James, Sirius, and Peter were down in the hospital wing keeping Remus company. They were trying to convince him to tell Madison the truth about him being a werewolf. "What if she finds out on her own? Then she'll be pissed at you. Girls get mad when you don't tell them stuff," Siruis advised his friend.

Remus scowled. "She won't find out."

"Serena and Lily did," Peter pointed out.

Remus glared at him, causing Peter to shut his mouth. Remus didn't get mad very often, and when he did, it was best to leave him alone. "You and Lily convinced Serena to share her secret," James persisted. "Why can't you do the same? Don't you trust Madison?"

"Of course I trust Madison," Remus said. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to tell her."

James and Sirius exchanged a look. "Remus," James began hesitatingly. "Is that why you and Madison aren't serious? Because you don't want to tell her?"

"No," Remus said defensively. "We're just not serious. Why are you making a big deal out of this? Sirius is never serious about anyone, and no one says anything to him."

Sirius smirked. "You aspiring to be like me now, Moony?"

Unable to help himself, Remus gave a small smile.

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The next week, Serena was down in the library struggling through yet another Herbology essay. _I can't stand Herbology_, Serena thought. _I can't believe I let Al and Uncle talk me into going for my N.E.W.T. in Herbology. Actually, I can't believe I did well enough on my Herbology O.W.L. to qualify to continue. _

She sighed. _Maybe I should just let myself fail. Then I definitely won't have to go through this torture next year._

But Serena knew she could never do that. She could never fail a class on purpose. Serena started to gather up her books, deciding to find Alice or Lily to help her with her essay. As she got up, she noticed Eric coming towards her. "Eric!" Serena exclaimed, surprised.

"Hey Serena," he said with a smile.

She gave him a hug. "I haven't seen you around for awhile," she said.

They sat back down at the table Serena had previously vacated. "I could say the same to you," Eric said.

They smiled at each other. "I've been busy," she said.

"Me too. But I'm not right now. I was wondering if you want to do something."

Serena sighed. "I would," she said regretfully. "But I have to finish this Herbology essay. I was just about to leave and find someone to help me – I'm awful at Herbology."

"I could help you," Eric offered.

Serena cocked a brow. "A seventh year Ravenclaw helping me with my homework? That's hardly fair."

Eric grinned. "So what's the assignment?"

Serena gave a little laugh. "Oh, Eric, you spoil me."

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Sirius made his way into the library cautiously. Madam Pince was still upset about a tiny little prank Sirius and the other Marauders had pulled in the library the previous month. The only reason he was here was because Lily had been trying to find Serena and Sirius, who had also been looking for her, had agreed to help locate her.

Sirius spotted her bright blond hair and started making his way across the library when he saw that she wasn't alone. He stopped. Serena was sitting there, talking and laughing with that blond guy she used to date. What was his name – Eddie? No, that wasn't it. Sirius racked his brain, trying to think.

Eric. The guy's name was Eric. But hadn't he and Serena broken up? What were they doing together?

Sirius quickly turned and left the library. As he made his way back to the common room, he felt himself growing angrier with each step. _Why is she hanging out with him? Are they back together? How come nobody said anything? I would have expected Isabelle or Rosie to say something if Serena was dating him again._

_But why do you care?_ A little voice taunted him. _It's not like you're going to date her. Even if she is sexy and smart and funny._

Sirius scowled. _Oh, shut up_, he snapped at the voices in his head.

They fell mercifully silent.

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_**Author's Note:**_** Review, review, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	9. Getting Closer

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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Serena came back to the common room with a smile. She sat down by Rosie, Madison, Lily, Remus, and James. "What's going on?" Madison asked with a smile.

She could tell that something was up with Serena. "I ran into Eric in the library," Serena answered her friend. "He helped me with my Herbology essay."

Madison grinned. "Oh really."

Serena grinned back. "Yes."

"Gotta love that homework help," James commented.

Just then Sirius and Peter came downstairs. "Hey, guess who Serena's back together with?" Rosie said as they came over.

"Who?" Peter asked.

"Eric," Rosie replied. "Isn't that great?"

"Peachy," Sirius muttered.

"What?" Madison asked.

"Nothing," Sirius said, raising his voice so that they all could hear.

He looked at James and Madison. "We should get to Quidditch practice," he said.

The three of them left. Rosie left to find Isabelle, and Peter and Remus went to nick some food from the kitchens. "So," Lily began. "Why did you and Eric decide to start dating again?"

Serena shrugged. "We ran into each other at the library, and we got to talking, and he wants to watch the Quidditch Cup final together."

Lily didn't say anything. "What?" Serena asked.

"Nothing. It's just – you and Sirius both haven't dated anyone for awhile."

Serena crossed her arms over her chest. "So?"

"So – oh, I don't know, I kinda thought that maybe you liked him or something."

Serena frowned. "Sirius is my friend," she said. "That's it."

Lily held up her hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. Whatever you say."

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"What's the matter with you?" James asked Sirius after practice.

Sirius didn't look at his friend. "Nothing. Why?"

James rolled his eyes. Sirius was in one of his moods. "The only time you ever hit a Bludger that hard is when you're pissed off," James said.

Sirius didn't say anything. Once he showered and changed, he left James behind and made his way to the Great Hall. "Hey Sirius!" said a pretty, brown-haired Ravenclaw named Emma.

He gave her a slow, heart-stopping smile. "Hey Emma," he said. "How's it going?"

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"Where are you going?" Lily asked Sirius the following day.

They had walked into the Great Hall together for breakfast, but instead of sitting with the rest of their friends, Sirius was heading in a different direction. "I'm eating with Emma this morning," he replied.

"Who's Emma?"

"You know Emma. She's a Ravenclaw."

Lily screwed up her face in thought. "Seventh year? Brown hair?"

"Yeah."

"When did you and her get together?" Lily asked.

"Last night."

"I see," Lily said with a small, knowing smile.

Sirius gave Lily a weird look before heading off to sit with Emma, and Lily continued on and sat down with her friends. "Where'd Sirius go?" James asked Lily after giving her a kiss.

"He's eating with Emma. His new snogging partner," Lily said.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw Serena look up at her words, then quickly look back down at her food again. Lily suppressed a smile. It was so obvious that her friends had a thing for each other. But she wasn't going to interfere; Serena and Sirius would have to figure this out for themselves.

She would keep her observations to herself. But oh, this was going to be fun.

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Sirius scowled. He was lying on his bed trying to read Quidditch Through the Ages, but his mind kept wandering.

It had been a week, and Serena was definitely back with Eric. Sirius knew that he shouldn't care; he _knew_ that. But he couldn't help it. He didn't like seeing her with Eric, and he didn't like Eric. Eric, with his stupid blond hair and goody-goody attitude.

Why did Serena like him, anyway? Sure, he helped her with the Herbology assignments she always struggled with, but Sirius thought he was pretty boring overall.

Sirius threw his book down and shut his eyes. He knew he couldn't have Serena, but he didn't want anyone else to have her either.

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Serena flipped another page. She was reading one of Lily's old issues of Witch Weekly, but she was having trouble concentrating.

Sirius had started dating a girl who was an entire year older than him. Well, maybe dating wasn't the right word. This was Sirius, after all. He didn't date, he snogged. Sirius had started snogging Emma on a regular basis.

Serena didn't really care. After all, she was with Eric now. But a part of her wanted to rip Emma's mousy brown hair out.

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The morning Hogwart's Quidditch Cup final match dawned clear and bright. Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff. James, Sirius, and Madison had left early that morning for the pitch, and later Serena and Eric made their way down. They sat with Lily, Remus, Frank, Alice, Peter, and Rosie. Isabelle was sitting with Gregory and his friends somewhere else.

They all cheered for the Gryffindor team, booing when the Hufflepuffs took the lead. Suddenly Madison dove; she was a ball of red hurtling towards the ground. She raised a fist in the air, and everyone saw that she was clutching the Snitch. Screaming with delight, Serena and Lily hugged. They had won!

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Sirius was ecstatic that they had won. Really, he was.

But he couldn't help himself. He had looked out into the stands several times during the game, his eyes seeking out Serena. She had been sitting with their friends – and Eric.

Eric was annoying Sirius more and more each day. Even Peter had noticed that Sirius had been especially angry lately. But Sirius didn't know how he could make himself stop feeling this way.

It was almost like he was……jealous. _But that's ridiculous_, Sirius reassured himself. _I don't get jealous_.

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Serena scowled. She and the rest of her friends had been waiting around for James, Sirius, and Madison to finish changing and come back out, and they had finally emerged. Lily gave James a kiss, Remus gave Madison one, and Sirius and Emma began making out.

"They're disgusting," Serena hissed at Madison.

Madison rolled her eyes. "I know. They need to find a room already."

James, who had overheard, smirked. "Oh, they have, believe me."

Serena's scowl deepened.

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"What's going on with you?" Serena asked Sirius a few days after the Quidditch match.

He had been especially moody lately; everyone had noticed. James, Remus, and Peter said that when Sirius was like this, it was best to let him work it out on his own. Or pick a fight with him.

And Serena felt like picking a fight. She had been quieter than usual – everyone had noticed that, as well. Lily and Madison were always whispering together, and Serena knew that her two friends thought that she had a thing for Sirius.

Which she did. But she also had no intention of hooking up with him. No intention whatsoever.

"Nothing," Sirius snapped.

"Then why are you snapping at me?"

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are," Serena said, continuing their childish argument.

"No I'm – oh, forget it," Sirius said, scowling.

Serena crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. He glared right back at her. "What's your problem, anyway?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be off with your boyfriend somewhere?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Serena said automatically.

Sirius looked at her disbelievingly. "Right. Does he know that?"

Serena looked away. "That's what I thought," Sirius said.

"Why do you care?" she snapped at him. "Shouldn't you be off shagging Emma?"

Sirius looked surprised. "Who told you I was shagging Emma?"

"James did."

Sirius looked confused. "Well, he's wrong."

Serena's insides did something funny at his words. _He's not shagging Emma_, a voice inside her head whispered happily. But Sirius' voice interrupted her thoughts. "Besides," he continued. "What happened to you not wanting a serious relationship?"

"I'm not _in_ a serious relationship, you idiot," Serena said. "Get that through your thick head."

"Right," Sirius said, still looking like he didn't believe her.

"I'm not," Serena repeated, growing more and more annoyed.

"Okay, okay, I believe you," he said in a tone of voice that clearly indicated otherwise.

Serena threw up her hands, practically growling with anger. "You know what? It doesn't matter if you believe me. You're with Emma, I'm with Eric, and – that's – everything's just great that way."

She walked away, muttering to herself. "Stupid, slutty, brown-haired Emma – "

"What did you just say?" Sirius asked her.

Serena froze. He hadn't really heard her, had he? "Nothing," she replied, turning back around to face him.

"Do you have a problem with Emma?" he asked.

_He doesn't sound mad_, Serena noted. _Just curious._

Serena shrugged. "I don't know Emma," she said, fiddling with her pendant and avoiding giving him a straight answer.

Sirius looked at her. "You don't like Emma," he said. "Why?"

"You don't like Eric," she countered. "Why?"

Just then Isabelle came up to them. "Serena, there you are," she said, not noticing the tension between Serena and Sirius. "Eric's looking for you. He and Gregory want us to go down and take a look at their Care of Magical Creatures project – something with baby unicorns. You've got to come with me, I always get freaked out going near the Forbidden Forest and I don't want Gregory to know."

"Of course I'll go with you. See you, Sirius," she said, not looking at him as she and Isabelle walked away.

Sirius frowned thoughtfully after the two girls. _Serena seemed pretty serious when she kept insisting that Eric wasn't her boyfriend_, he thought. _Maybe they're not serious. Maybe she'll stop hanging out with him soon, like she did last time._

Sirius felt decidedly more cheerful at that thought. He started walking back to the common room, still thinking as he went. _Why doesn't she like Emma? I don't like Eric, but that's because I like Serena._

_Does she not like Emma because she likes me?_

Sirius had never even considered that possibility before. Sure, the first time they had met, Serena had seemed interested in him, but then they had gone through that whole her-hating-him period before finally settling into being friends. Could they even go back to that initial attraction now, to see where it went?

_No_, Sirius decided. _Because it wouldn't go anywhere. She doesn't want a serious relationship. And neither do I, of course. And then our friendship would be ruined. There's no way around that._

But the idea that Serena had feelings for him snapped Sirius out of the bad mood he had been in for almost the past week.

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Serena pushed her food around her plate the next night at dinner. Sirius had seemed to be in a much better mood since their fight, but she wasn't. Sirius had made her face what she had been trying to ignore: she was jealous of Emma.

When James had implied that Sirius and Emma were sleeping together, Serena had been unbelievably angry and hurt. And what made it worse was that she knew she had no right to feel that way. She had no hold over Sirius; he could shag whoever he wanted.

But she didn't want him to. She still had this horribly misplaced crush on him and it wasn't going away despite Serena's best attempts. So she was just going to have to pretend that everything was fine.

Serena sighed. Once again, she was back to pretending. Suddenly an owl swooped down, distracting Serena from her musings. It was her brother's owl! Serena quickly untied it and tore open the note.

**Hey kiddo –**

**I'm back at home now. I found out something – I don't know how much it has to do with our parents' deaths, but I'll tell you when I see you anyway.**

**Everything's fine so far. Tell your friends they can stop by anytime they want this summer – I'm going to be away a lot during the day, and I don't want you to be alone if you don't have to be.**

**I'll see you soon.**

**- Al**

Serena folded the letter after she finished reading it. She felt happy and relieved. "Good news?" Lily asked.

"Yes," Serena said with a smile. "Al's back home. And he said for me to tell you you're all welcome to come over this summer anytime you want."

She gave all her friends her address except for Sirius and Peter, who were off somewhere probably causing trouble. "I've never met your brother," Madison said. "What's he like?"

"Is he handsome?" Rosie asked.

Serena made a face. "Ew, don't ask me. He's my brother!"

"He's funny," Lily said.

She grinned. "And he's good-looking."

Rosie, Alice, Isabelle, and Madison smiled. "Maybe we'll be visiting you a lot," Rosie said.

"When did you meet Serena's brother?" James asked.

He had been frowning every since Lily had described Al as 'funny' and 'good-looking'. After all, James was funny and good-looking too, wasn't he? "Over holiday break," Lily replied.

Madison frowned playfully. "How come I never met him when I was at Serena's?"

At this, Remus' gaze sharpened on Madison. "I guess you just weren't lucky," Lily said with a wink.

James' frown deepened. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Can you please not talk about my brother?" Serena asked with a scrunched up face.

"Why do you care if Serena's brother is handsome?" Remus asked Madison.

"Oh, James, I was just kidding!" Lily said to her boyfriend.

Rolling her eyes, Serena got up. "I'm going to go find Sirius and Peter," she said.

No one paid her any attention. Madison and Remus were arguing, as were James and Lily, and Isabelle, Rosie, Alice, and Frank were all discussing their summer plans. Serena found Sirius and Peter sneaking back to the Gryffindor common room, their pockets full of sweets. "Where'd you get that?" she asked them.

"Sssh!" Sirius said, not answering her question.

Serena rolled her eyes. "It's not after hours. Why do we have to be quiet?"

The two boys stopped. "Oh. I guess we don't," Peter said sheepishly.

Ignoring their stupidity. Serena continued talking. "I just got an owl from my brother, and he aid you are all welcome at my house anytime."

She gave them her address, and as the three of them began walking back to the common room, Serena happened to look over her shoulder.

She froze. Severus Snape was just standing there. When he saw Serena looking at him, he quickly hurried away. "What is it?" Sirius asked, also stopping.

Serena pointed wordlessly, and he saw Snape hurrying away. She felt sick. Had Snape heard her give out her address? Serena knew that he was a Death Eater – or almost one. Peter was looking at the two of them quizzically. "Why'd we stop?" he asked.

"No reason," Serena said quickly. "I just – I have to – I'll see you guys later."

She waited until she rounded the corner, then took off running towards the owlery. "Serena!" she heard someone calling behind her, but she didn't stop.

Upon reaching the owlery, she hurriedly scribbled a note to her brother.

**Al – **

**Leave the house right now. V might know you're there. Snape overheard me telling my friends our new address. Get out right now.**

**- Serena**

She tied it to the legs of one of the school owls, then leaned against a wall as it flew out the window. What if she was too late? Who knew how quickly Snape could get Voldemort a message? _I'm so stupid! Careless! What was I thinking? Anyone could have heard, I should have been thinking about that!_

"Serena!"

It was Sirius. He was the one who had been calling after her as she raced towards the owlery. "What if he heard?" Serena asked Sirius, trying and failing to fight the panic that was welling up inside of her.

She was fingering her pendant, yanking on the chain anxiously. "What if Voldemort gets there before Al receives my note? Then it will be all my fault if he – if he – "

Serena couldn't finish the sentence. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and a sob was threatening to choke her. "Hey," Sirius said, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly and pulling her up against his chest. "He'll get the note. It'll be okay."

His kind words made Serena lose her composure. She broke down, crying into the front of his robes, as Sirius rubbed her back soothingly and whispered comforting words in her ear.

Serena's sobs eventually subsided, but she burrowed into Sirius' chest. She didn't know how long they had been standing there; all she knew was that she felt safer than she had in a long time.

Still, she pulled back a little and looked up at Sirius, who didn't let go of her. "Sorry," she said with a shaky laugh. "I got your robes wet."

"That's okay," he said, his voice sounding lower than usual.

He and Serena were staring at each other. His eyes were burning with an intensity Serena didn't understand, and without realizing what she was doing she raised a hand and traced a small scar near his eyebrow. He leaned forward and Serena's hand dropped and rested on his chest, her open palm pressing against him. "Sirius – " she began, her voice breathy.

She never got a chance to finish what she was going to say because Sirius leaned down and kissed her. His lips were hard and demanding on hers, and Serena responded fervently. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his.

Sirius lifted her off her feet, settling her higher up against him and moved his mouth down to her neck. Serena moaned as he nibbled on a sensitive spot, wiggling in his arms and causing Sirius to let out a groan as she rubbed against a sensitive area.

Suddenly, as if from far away, Serena heard a voice calling. "Serena?"

There was the sound of loud footsteps coming up the stairs. Serena pulled away from Sirius. "Serena?" the voice said again.

"It's Eric," Serena whispered, her eyes meeting Sirius'.

Both were breathing rather heavily, and Sirius had an unreadable expression on his face as he put Serena down. She pulled away from him, straightening her robes as Eric entered. "There you are. Peter said you had headed this way – oh," he said, catching sight of Sirius. "Hi Sirius."

There was an awkward pause, as Serena wondered wildly whether Eric would guess what had been going on before he had arrived. "I need to go," Serena blurted out.

"What's going on?" Eric asked. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, of course. I'm fine."

Suddenly Serena thought of something she should have done right away. "I have to go. I'll see you – both of you – later."

"Where are you going?" Eric asked, looking confused.

"I need to see Professor Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore? Why?" Eric inquired. "Is something wrong?"

Sirius was standing behind Eric, and Serena's eyes moved to him. "No, it's nothing," Serena said, still looking at Sirius.

She left.

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Serena hurried towards Professor Dumbledore's office. Why hadn't she thought of this? Dumbledore could get a message to Al – Dumbledore could protect Al. Serena was sure of it. Everyone knew that Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort was afraid of. And her uncle trusted Dumbledore explicitly – which, seeing as how her uncle didn't really trust anyone, was saying something.

Serena stopped before the entrance to Dumbledore's office. She ran a hand through her hair and straightened her robes. Her little – interlude – with Sirius had both comforted her and rattled her at the same time.

_But I'm not going to think about Sirius right now_, Serena told herself firmly.

She knocked urgently on Dumbledore's office door. Dumbledore opened it, looking surprised. "Miss Ashby. What can I do for you at this late hour?"

Serena felt embarrassed. "Oh. Right. Sorry, Professor, I didn't notice what time it was."

"Come in, come in. I'm sure you must have a good reason for coming up here."

Serena moved into Dumbledore's office and he shut the door behind her. "Would you care to sit down?" he asked.

"No," Serena said quickly. "I have a problem. And I think you're the only one who can help me."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "And what is the nature of this problem?"

"I've done something stupid," Serena blurted out. "And I think my brother could be in trouble."

"What's happened?" Dumbledore asked, his voice serious.

"Al wrote me. He said he's back home now, and he said for me to invite my friends over anytime. So I was telling them our new address, and – I should have looked around first, I should have made sure no one was listening," Serena cried. "I know I should have, but I didn't, and – Snape overhead me."

"Severus Snape?" Dumbledore asked, his voice neutral.

"Yes. Professor – I've heard rumors about him, and – what if he tells Voldemort? I already wrote Al a letter telling him to leave home, but what if he doesn't get it in time?"

Dumbledore placed his hands together on his desk. "I don't think we need to worry about Mr. Snape," he said. "But I can check on it for you."

Dumbledore took out some Floo powder and threw it onto his office fire. The flames turned green, and he was about to step into it when Serena grabbed his arm. "Let me go with you," she pleaded.

"Miss Ashby – "

"Please, Professor," Serena said, interrupting his protests. "My brother is all I have left."

Dumbledore nodded. "All right. But you do as I say, no matter what. If I tell you to leave, you leave. Are we clear?"

Serena nodded quickly. "Crystal, Professor."

He stepped into the fire, shouted Serena's address, and disappeared. Serena followed suit, and before she knew it she had fallen onto the floor of the home she had never been in. Al and Professor Dumbledore were there as well. "Serena, what's going on?" Al asked, striding over to his sister and putting an arm around her.

"Al, you have to get out of here," she said. "I think Snape overheard me telling Sirius and Peter our new address. I came to warn you. You've got to leave."

Al looked at his sister and Dumbledore, then gave a quick jerk of his head. "All right. Give me five minutes."

Suddenly Serena, Dumbledore, and Al's heads jerked to the door. There were noises outside – loud cracks, and then voices – "Shit," Al muttered.

"We've got to leave now," Dumbledore said urgently.

"We can't Apparate to Hogwarts," Al said. "And the fire's gone out."

Indeed, as soon as the people outside had arrived, the fire had immediately gone out. "We can Apparate to Hogsmeade and get to Hogwarts from there," Dumbledore said. "I can Apparate Serena with me."

"I – um – I know how to Apparate, Professor," Serena admitted. "Uncle – he – "

"Say no more, Miss Ashby," Dumbledore said. "I would hate to have to hear of any illegal activity."

"Right."

"Let's go," Al said.

The three of them closed their eyes to prepare when suddenly the door burst open. The eyes of all three flew open. Five people in black cloaks and masks stood in the doorway. "Both of them?" one asked the tallest in the group.

"Dumbledore!" whispered another one.

Al, Serena, and Dumbledore drew their wands as the figures advanced.

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_**Author's Note**_**: Oh, no, how will they get out of this one? Better review to find out!**


	10. Stupid Sirius

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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Al moved to stand in front of Serena protectively. One of the masked figures aimed directly at Al. "_Avada _– " a woman's voice started the killing curse, but Al deflected it with a Shielding Charm.

Dumbledore, Al, and Serena started dodging and deflecting the killing curses being hurled at them, shooting Confundus, Shielding, and Disarming Charms at the Death Eaters as well as various jinxes and hexes. "Serena, get out of here," Al shouted over the din.

"I'm not leaving you," she yelled back, shouting "_Expelliarmus!_" and disarming the wizard who was standing behind Al and about to curse him.

"Thanks," he called. "But leave!"

"Serena, we'll cover you," Dumbledore said. "Disapparate _now_."

"But Professor – "

"Now, Serena!" Dumbledore shouted.

Serena had never heard him raise his voice before, or use that tone with anyone. "All right," she said, remembering their agreement.

Al and Dumbledore closed in around her, protecting her so that she could Disapparate. She was about to do it when Al suddenly fell to the floor. "Al!" Serena cried, rushing to her brother's aid.

She and Dumbledore blocked the Death Eaters from getting to Al, who was lying unconscious on the ground. Dumbledore suddenly shouted a spell Serena had never heard before, and there a golden light surrounded Al, Serena, and Dumbledore.

The Death Eaters stared for a moment. No curses could get through, and when one reached out a hand to reach through the golden light, he pulled it back with a yelp of pain. The hooded figures muttered to each other, then Disapparated one by one. "You haven't seen the last of us!" the lone remaining figure, a man, shouted before he, too, Disapparated.

Dumbledore muttered another incantation, and the golden light disappeared. Serena was already on the floor, bending over Al's motionless body. "What's happened? Will he be okay?" Serena asked Dumbledore.

"He'll be fine," Dumbledore said.

He pointed his wand at Al, said, "_Enervate_", and Al's eyes flew open.

"Serena," he said immediately.

Serena grabbed her brother's hand. "I'm right here," she said, gripping it tightly.

He sat up. "What happened?"

"They left," Dumbledore said simply.

"I'm sorry, Al," Serena said.

"It's not your fault," Al said firmly.

"Yes it is. I should have – "

"That's enough, Miss Ashby," Dumbledore said. "It's not your fault. You can never blame yourself for Voldemort's evil intentions."

"Yes, Professor," Serena said softly.

He turned to Al. "Your sister and I will return to Hogwarts," he said. "I suggest you go to Alastor's. You can't stay here – they may come back."

"I know."

Al gave Serena a hug. "Be safe," he said to her.

Serena hugged him back tightly. "You too."

Dumbledore was lighting the fire as brother and sister looked at each other. Suddenly Al's gaze traveled downward. "Is that a hickey on your neck?" he asked quietly so that Dumbledore wouldn't hear.

_Damn it, Sirius!_ Serena thought angrily as she shook her head and did her best to look innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about," Serena said to her brother, trying her best to inconspicuously readjust her robes to hide her neck.

Al looked at her reprovingly and opened his mouth to say something when Dumbledore came back over to them. "Ready to go, Miss Ashby?" he asked.

"Yes," Serena said, glad for an excuse to escape her brother's questioning.

She gave her brother another hug. "Take care of yourself, Al."

"You too. And no more hickeys," he whispered in her ear.

Serena glared at her brother, then stepped into the fireplace and shouted, "Hogwarts!"

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Sirius was scowling fiercely as he made his way back to the common room. Sure, being with Serena had been great. Comforting her, kissing her, feeling her pressed up against him – it had all been great.

And then Eric had arrived. Sirius didn't think that Eric had guessed what was going on – he was pretty slow, apparently – but Serena had looked awfully guilty when Eric had come in. Was she going to stay with Eric? _She better not_, Sirius thought.

He didn't care about the rules about dating a friend anymore. He wanted to be with Serena, and she would just have to get used to the idea.

"Where's Serena?" Peter asked Sirius as he came back to the common room.

Peter, James, Remus, Lily, Madison, Alice, Isabelle, and Rosie were sitting together at a table in the common room. Sirius looked around. "She's not back yet?"

"Where'd she go?" Lily asked.

"To see Dumbledore."

He didn't explain why, and his friends knew him well enough not to ask. Sirius sat there silently as his friends talked, watching the portrait hole for Serena. It was getting late, and Isabelle, Rosie, and Alice said good night and went up to bed. The Marauders, Lily, and Madison, although they didn't say it out loud, were waiting up for Serena.

Finally, when they were the only ones left in the common room, Serena entered. Her friends rushed over to her right away. "Where were you?" Lily asked.

"Is everything all right?" Madison added.

"What happened?" James put in.

"What did Dumbledore say?" Sirius asked.

Serena gave them a smile. "You guys didn't have to wait up for me," she said, looking tired and disheveled.

"We wanted to make sure you were all right," Lily said, shooting Sirius a look. "Sirius wouldn't tell us what was going on."

Serena sighed, sinking down onto a couch. "I'm fine. I – "

She was interrupted by Frank, Alice, Isabelle, and Rosie. "You're back!" Alice said. "Thank goodness. We were getting worried about you."

The four of them sat down to join the others. "What's going on?" Isabelle asked.

"Um – you know how I gave all of you my address?" Serena said.

They nodded. "Well, you won't be needing it. My house was attacked, and we're moving again."

"How do you know your house was attacked already?" Sirius asked with a frown.

"Professor Dumbledore and I went to my house to warn Al, and we were attacked by Death Eaters."

"What?" Remus exclaimed.

Her friends listening attentively, Serena told them the whole story. "I can't believe you got to fight off five Death Eaters with Dumbledore," James said enviously.

"What were you thinking? You could have been hurt!" Sirius told her, scowling.

"Is Al okay?" Lily asked, concerned.

"Why do you care?" James snapped at Lily.

"James, that's a horrible thing to say!" Alice admonished him.

"Are you sure Snape was the one who told You-Know-Who your address?" Peter asked.

"Of course. Who else could it be?" Serena asked, brushing off Peter's question as ridiculous.

Sirius frowned. "Who else, indeed."

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The next day Serena barely woke up in time to get to class. She didn't have time to get breakfast, and barely made it to Potions on time. She raced to class, only to find that the only available seat was next to Sirius. She sat down beside him and as she listened to Professor Slughorn drone on and on, Serena's mind wandered to what had happened in the owlery yesterday; it was the first time she had the chance to think about it.

_What happened?_ Serena asked herself. _Sirius definitely kissed me. He initiated it. And what a kiss! If Eric hadn't interrupted us……well, who knows what might have happened._

Serena sighed as she thought of Eric. _I definitely need to talk to him. I can't see him anymore – it wouldn't be fair. I think I might have more than a crush on Sirius – I think I might really like him._

_But what if he doesn't like me? I mean, sure, he kissed me, but……that doesn't mean that it meant anything to him. This is Sirius, after all. He kisses girls all the time._

Serena frowned at the thought. Was she just another girl to him? She hoped not.

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Sirius was distracted. Serena had sat down next to him, and now all he could think about was her. They hadn't had a chance to talk last night, and he wondered what she was thinking about what had happened yesterday.

_I wonder if she broke up with Eric. Okay, so she probably didn't have time to talk to him. But I want her to be with me. Me. Not him._

Serena let loose with a sigh next to him, and Sirius wondered what she was thinking about. _Probably about her brother. I can't believe she went to her house last night. I can't believe Dumbledore let her go, actually. Five Death Eaters! She could have gotten hurt – or killed._

_Why is Voldemort after Serena and her brother? What could they possibly have done?_

He looked at Serena out of the corner of his eye and saw that she was frowning. What was she frowning about? Was she thinking about breaking up with Eric?

_You really need to get some help_, Sirius told himself.

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Serena fingered her pendant nervously. Professor Slughorn had finished his lecture, and now everyone was moving around and talking as they began making their potions. She set her ingredients out, wondering how long she and Sirius could go before one of them started talking. "Oh damn," Serena said out loud, looking at her assembled ingredients.

"What?" Sirius asked, setting out his own ingredients.

"I forgot to buy more gillyweed."

She walked over to the school supply cabinet, hoping to find some in there. She rummaged around looking for the gillyweed when she heard someone behind her. Serena froze, then turned around to find Bellatrix Black standing there.

"I heard about what happened last night," Bellatrix said, quietly so that no one else could hear. "You were lucky once. It won't happen again."

Serena straightened her spine. "Are you threatening me, Bellatrix?"

Bellatrix cackled. "And they said you weren't smart," she said snidely.

Serena felt her fury growing and was about to reach for her wand when Sirius came over and stood slightly in front of Serena. "How's being evil these days, Bella?" he asked his cousin.

She glared at him. "How's being stupid these days, cousin?" she asked. "You're choosing the wrong side, you know. Your mother – "

"Don't mention her to me," Sirius said. "She's not my mother."

"Oh, that's right. Living with the Potters now, are we?" Bellatrix mocked.

She included Serena in her gaze when she continued. "You can both try and hide," she said. "But the Dark Lord will find you."

Her eyes lingered on Serena. "Your brother's luck will run out. And then the Dark Lord will come after you."

James, Lily, and Isabelle came over to their friends. "What's going on?" Lily asked, crossing her arms and looking coldly at Bellatrix.

"Nothing that concerns you, Mudblood," Bellatrix snapped.

James growled with anger, his hand going towards his wand and taking a step forward, but Lily laid a hand on his arm in restraint. "What's going on over here?" Professor Slughorn said, coming over to the group of students.

"Nothing," Bellatrix said quickly, glaring at the Gryffindors.

"I was just looking for some gillyweed, Professor," Serena added, showing him the plant in her fist.

Professor Slughorn looked at them all suspiciously. "Get back to your cauldrons," he commanded them.

"Yes, Professor," Lily said.

They all went back to their tables. "Are you okay?" Sirius asked in an undertone as they went back to brewing their potions.

"I'm fine," she said, pulling her hair back in a ponytail so that it wouldn't be in the way as she worked. "It's nothing I haven't heard before."

But Sirius didn't appear to be listening. "What?" Serena asked self-consciously, as he continued staring at her.

To her surprise, he gave her an arrogant grin. "Nice hickey."

Serena glared, trying to adjust her robes so that her neck would be covered. "Who says it's from you?" she asked innocently, willing to say anything to erase that annoyingly arrogant grin from his face.

His eyes narrowed and his mouth hardened. "What did you say?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.

Serena felt a moment of surprise. Did Sirius care? Had that really upset him? "Nothing," she replied. "I wasn't being serious. I mean – " she gave him a smile, trying to lighten the mood " – you certainly know who put it there."

Sirius didn't say anything and began stirring his cauldron. Serena followed suit, until Sirius finally spoke. "Did you break up with Eric?" he asked.

"I told you, he isn't my boyfriend," Serena said, stalling.

Sirius let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine. Are you still 'seeing Eric casually'?"

"Well – I haven't exactly had a chance to talk to him," Serena replied, staring into her cauldron.

She snuck a look at Sirius, who was avoiding looking at her. "Besides, you're with Emma, aren't you?"

"No," Sirius said shortly.

Serena felt a stab of surprise. "You're not?" she couldn't help herself from asking. "Since when?"

Sirius shrugged. "I broke up with her this morning."

Just then, Professor Slughorn dismissed the class. As their friends headed towards them, Serena leaned in towards Sirius. "We need to talk. Let's try tonight, okay?"

He nodded as James, Lily, and Isabelle came over and started asking Serena about what Bellatrix had said.

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Sirius was eating lunch with Peter when he saw Severus Snape enter the Great Hall. He felt both anger and surprise upon seeing the greasy fifth year. Why was he here? Hadn't Dumbledore punished him? Serena could have been killed thanks to Snape sending those Death Eaters to her home.

All of the sudden he came up with the perfect idea for revenge. He went to the owlery, wrote a note and sent it by school owl. Somebody had to teach Snape a lesson.

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"Hey Remus," Serena said, coming into the hospital wing to visit her friend.

She looked around. "No Madison?"

"No, she had to work on an Ancient Runes essay," Remus said with a smile.

His expression turned serious with his next words. "I heard about what happened in Potions."

"Wow, do you spies everywhere?" Serena teased.

Remus couldn't help but smile. "Come on, Serena, this is serious. Bellatrix is nuts. You need to be careful."

"I will, Dad. Don't worry."

Serena was determined not to take this seriously, and Remus had no choice but to follow her lead.

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"James!" Peter said breathlessly.

He had run up to James, who was sitting with Serena and Lily in the Gryffindor common room, and was out of breath. "What's going on?"

"Sirius has done something stupid."

James looked resigned, but Serena looked worried. "What has he done?" she asked.

Peter winced. "Snape has always wondered where Remus disappears to every month," he said. "And earlier today – Sirius sent Snape a note, telling him where to go tonight if he wants to find out."

Lily put a hand over her mouth. "But Remus will be a werewolf tonight!" she said, horrified. "If Snape runs into him – "

"We've got to stop him," James said, getting to his feet.

James, Peter, Lily, and Serena followed James out of the castle. "How, exactly, are we supposed to help Snape?" Serena asked as they ran. "Besides, it's just Snape."

"Serena, look, I know you don't like him, but Remus would never get over it if he hurt someone while he was a werewolf! And Sirius knows that," Lily said with a frown.

They stopped in front of the Whomping Willow. "What? Why are we stopping?" Serena questioned.

"Okay, after this – then you definitely know all of our secrets," James said.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you," Lily added.

"Couldn't tell me what?" Serena asked.

Then, before her eyes, Peter transformed into a gray rat and James turned into a silver stag. "What – " Serena began as Peter froze the tree and he and James ran into the passage.

"They learned how to transform so they could be with Remus in his werewolf form," Lily explained quickly. "That way he can't hurt them, and they go on their little adventures every month."

"Lily, maybe you should go get Dumbledore," she said.

Lily nodded. "That's a good idea, but – I don't want to leave you here alone. What if Remus comes out, and they can't stop him?"

"Okay, Lily, after this – well, you'll know almost all of my secrets. Just promise me you'll go and get Dumbledore."

"Okay, Serena, but what – "

Lily broke off as Serena transformed into a gray cat. She stared at Lily until Lily turned and headed back towards the castle. Lily looked over her shoulder and saw the cat scamper off down the passageway. "Why are all of my friends also animals?" Lily asked herself as she ran to Dumbledore's office.

Meanwhile, Serena – in cat form – ran and caught up with Peter and James, who were also both in animal form. She had no way to communicate with them, so she followed a little way behind. Catching sight of Snape, James transformed back into human form and went up to him. "Snape, you've got to get out of here right now," James said.

Serena looked further ahead and saw a big black dog standing in front of the door where howling could be heard. _That's got to be Sirius_, Serena thought. _And Remus is behind that door. Oh, what are we going to do?_

"I'm not leaving," Snape said stubbornly.

"Listen to me," James said urgently. "If you don't stop, you're going to come face-to-face with a werewolf. We've got to leave. Now."

James began pulling Snape out of the passageway as Remus broke through the door. Peter, who was still in rat form, ran in front of James and Snape in order to freeze the Whomping Willow. Sirius was fighting with Remus, who had scented humans and was trying to go after them.

Serena remembered something that she had read when she was looking up information on werewolves. Werewolves didn't like cats – they were afraid to come too close to them. Serena couldn't remember why, at the moment, but it didn't matter. She had to do what she could to help Sirius.

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"Where's Serena?" James asked Lily.

"Um – "

Lily didn't know whether Serena wanted James and Peter to know. She had gotten Professor Dumbledore, explained what was going on, and they had just reached the Whomping Willow when James and Snape had emerged. Lily hadn't seen Peter; she assumed he had gone behind a tree or something to transform where Dumbledore wouldn't see.

Dumbledore was in his office talking to Snape at the moment. James and Lily were waiting outside so that they could tell Dumbledore their versions of what had happened.

"She went to help Sirius," Lily finally said.

"What? But Remus was there! Is she crazy?"

"No. It turns out that Serena has another little secret. She's an Animagus, too."

"What?" James asked, sounding shocked. "That's impossible. There are no recent registered Animagi."

"Well, are you registered?" Lily asked.

"No, but – "

"Look, Serena didn't tell me the whole story," Lily said. "She told me to get Dumbledore, then changed into a gray cat right in front of me."

James shook his head. "I wonder how many Animagi are really running around the wizarding world."

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Once Remus was safely back in the Shrieking Shack, Sirius came out of the passageway, still in dog form and still accompanied by the mysterious gray cat. Once out of reach of the Whomping Willow, he changed back into human form. He was leaning down to pat the cat's head when suddenly Serena was standing next to him.

Sirius jumped back. "What the f – "

"Don't freak out," Serena said, cutting him off.

"But you – how did you – "

"I could ask you the same question," Serena said. "Illegal Animagus, are we?"

"Yes," Sirius admitted. "But so are you."

"Yes, I am," Serena said.

They started making their way back to the castle. "My brother and I both learned, because – well, for the same reason I learned how to Apparate."

"So that you could escape Voldemort if you needed to," Sirius reasoned for her.

Serena nodded. He slung an arm around her shoulders. "James, Lily, and Snape are in with Dumbledore already," Serena said. "Peter managed to disappear somewhere. I don't know what's going to happen."

"I couldn't let him get away with it," Sirius told her, his eyes searching as he looked at her.

Serena gave him a small smile. "I know."

"I wasn't going to let Remus get to him, either. Just scare him."

Serena wrapped her arm around Sirius' waist. "I know."

The two made their way up to Dumbledore's office. James and Lily were sitting outside. "Sirius, Serena!" Lily exclaimed, getting up and coming towards them.

James quickly followed, and Sirius and Serena let go of each other as they approached. "What's going on?" Serena asked.

"Dumbledore's talking to Snape right now," Lily said.

She smacked Sirius. "What were you thinking?"

"I – "

"You sent Snape to confront a werewolf, Sirius!"

"I – "

"Remus is going to be so upset when he finds out!" she continued.

"I – "

"How could you do that to him?"

"I – "

"I can't believe you did that," James put in.

"Stop!" Sirius exclaimed, holding up a hand to keep Lily from speaking again – or hitting him again.

Lily put her hands on her hips. "Explain yourself, Black," she snapped at him.

"I – I wasn't really going to let Snape see Remus," Sirius said defensively. "I was there. I just wanted to scare him."

"Why?" James asked. "Didn't you think about how mad Remus was going to get? And you know what he's like when he's mad."

"No, I – I guess I didn't really think about that," Sirius admitted.

"What happens when Remus gets really mad?" Serena wanted to know.

James, Sirius, and Lily exchanged a look. "It's not good," James finally replied. "You'll see. Because he'll _definitely _be furious with Sirius."

"James – Snape is the one who told Voldemort Serena's address," Sirius said. "What would you have done? And besides, no one was hurt."

James sighed, but Lily spoke up before James could agree with what Sirius had done. "It doesn't matter, Sirius. You never think about what could happen, the risks of your little schemes! What if Remus had gotten to Snape? Then what would you have done?"

"Celebrated?" Serena suggested.

Sirius grinned, James covered a smile, and Lily glared. Just then Snape came out of Dumbledore's office, avoided looking at the four Gryffindors, and slammed the door angrily behind him.

Professor Dumbledore stood in the doorway of his office, looking serious. "I'd like to speak with you three," Professor Dumbledore said, gesturing towards Serena, Lily, and James. "Mr. Black, please wait out here."

Shooting Sirius a last look, Serena, James, and Lily made their way into Dumbledore's office.

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_**Author's Note**_**: Don't forget to review!**


	11. School's Out

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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The next morning, they were all subdued. James, Lily, and Serena had waited for Sirius to leave Professor Dumbledore's office, and he hadn't been very happy when he'd left. The four of them had stayed in the common room all night, filling Peter in when he arrived later.

Madison, Alice, Isabelle, Rosie, and Frank had all come down, surprised to find them there. Of course they couldn't tell them what had really happened; instead, they said they had been discussing Serena's problems with the Death Eaters and Voldemort.

Sirius was nervous all through Transfiguration. Serena had never seen him nervous before. _Everyone's so anxious. This is Remus we're talking about. Yes, he'll be angry, but he'll get over it. Sirius is one of his best friends. Why is everyone so afraid of his anger?_

After class, James, Lily, and Serena made their way down to the hospital wing to talk with Remus and answer all his questions before Sirius talked to him. "You guys are scaring me," Serena said. "Is Remus really going to be that angry?"

James and Lily nodded. "Yes," they said simultaneously.

"But – it's Remus."

"Exactly," James replied.

Serena began playing with her pendant nervously as James opened the door and he, Lily, and Serena made their way over to where Remus lay. Except for the scratches on his arm, he looked fine. "Hey," he said, sounding just like he always did.

Serena let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. James and Lily's stories of Remus' anger had freaked her out more than she had known.

"How are you doing?" Lily said, sitting down in the chair next to Remus' bed.

"I'm fine."

James cleared his throat awkwardly. "Did Dumbledore – I mean, I'm sure he told you – right?"

Remus nodded. "He said Snape has promised not to tell anyone, so I can keep coming to school."

"Oh, Remus," Lily said, rubbing his arm sympathetically.

"You're not really mad at Sirius, are you?" Serena asked.

Apparently this had been the wrong thing to say. Lily shook her head at Serena, James looked down at the ground, and Remus suddenly looked furious. "Of course I'm mad at him," he spat. "Doesn't he realize what could have happened? I could have killed someone. I could have been kicked out of school. My entire life could have been ruined!"

Serena had never seen Remus so furious before. Suddenly his resemblance to the growling, snapping creature of the night before became clear. "You can't blame Sirius," Serena said, even while she realized it would only infuriate Remus more. "It's not his fault. It's mine."

"How is it your fault?" James couldn't help himself from asking.

"He did it to get back at Snape because of what Snape did to me – giving Voldemort my address. He wasn't going to let Snape get close to you, Remus. He just wanted to scare him."

"Are you _making excuses_ for him?" Remus asked, his voice a dangerous growl.

Serena took a step back, but she nodded. "He was doing it for me," she insisted.

Lily suddenly looked as if everything made sense, James was still trying not to look at Remus or Serena, and Remus still looked angry. "I. Don't. Care," Remus snapped at her. "This had nothing to do with you, Serena, and everything to do with me. How do you think it makes me feel to know that Sirius _used_ me for revenge?"

"I know, Remus, but I – "

"Get out."

Serena looked at Remus in surprise. "What?"

"Get out!" he yelled at her.

Serena quickly turned and left, not looking at James or Lily. She went back to the common room and found Sirius, who came over to him. "What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

The two of them sat down in a corner together. "I just saw Remus," she said with a sigh.

She felt Sirius tense next to her. "So he's mad, huh?" Sirius asked in a would-be casual tone.

"Oh yeah."

The two were silent for a moment. "So – I guess we could have that talk now," Serena said. "We're as alone as we'll ever be."

"Okay," Sirius replied.

There was silence again. "Have you talked to Eric?" Sirius asked, breaking the silence.

"Um – no. But I will! I just don't have the energy to try and find him."

Sirius didn't say anything for a minute, but finally he couldn't hold back anymore. Patience had never been a trait of his. "I want you to break up with him," Sirius said. "And be with me."

Serena looked at Sirius in surprise. "You do?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.

Sirius still wasn't looking at her when he replied, "Yes."

"Okay."

Now it was Sirius' turn to look at her in surprise. "What?"

"I said 'okay'."

"I heard what you said."

They just looked at each other. "Wait," Serena said. "We should have rules."

Sirius frowned. "I'm not a big fan of rules."

Serena rolled her eyes. "There have to be rules, Sirius. Neither of us wants a serious relationship – right?" she asked, quickly shooting him a glance.

"Right," he quickly agreed.

Serena felt something deflate inside of her. "Right. So we'll keep it casual."

"But you can't date anyone else," Sirius told her.

"Fine," Serena said after looking at him for a moment. "But neither can you."

"Fine."

He moved to put an arm around her, but Serena scooted out of reach. "Maybe we shouldn't tell anyone."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, looking wary.

"I mean – well – you know how Lily and everyone is. If they know we're dating, they'll – they'll think more of it than we do. They'll take it more seriously, don't you think?"

"I guess," Sirius said doubtfully.

"So maybe we should – maybe we should keep it a secret."

"All right," Sirius agreed.

Serena got up. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To see Eric," she said.

At Sirius' frown, she added, "To break up with him."

"I thought he wasn't your boyfriend."

Serena rolled her eyes before leaving.

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Serena found Eric in the Great Hall. "Hey Serena," he greeted her as she came over.

"Hey. Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

She looked around at the table full of his Ravenclaw friends. "In private," she added.

"Sure," he said, getting up and following her out into the hallway.

Once there, Serena stopped to face him. "Eric – you're really great, and I've had a lot of fun, but – I don't think we should, uh, hang out anymore."

"All right," Eric said, looking resigned.

Serena looked slightly surprised. "All right?" she couldn't help herself from asking.

"Serena – I can't say I'm really surprised," Eric said with a rueful smile. "This is about Sirius, right?"

"What? No – I – why would you think that?"

Eric shrugged. "I'm not blind. I see the way you two look at each other."

"Eric – "

"No, it's fine," he said, cutting her off. "Just remember, this is Sirius Black. Try not to get your heart broken."

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Sirius sat on the couch where Serena had left him. He wondered what Serena was saying to Eric, and what Eric's reaction had been. He smiled smugly to himself. Serena was with _him_ now.

_The keeping it secret is a good idea_, he told himself. _We'd never hear the end of it from Lily and James. And we're keeping it casual. This is what I've always wanted._

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. _So why do I feel cheated, somehow?_ he asked himself.

He shook his head as if to clear it. _You're being stupid_, he told himself. _So you can't kiss Serena in front of your friends like James and Remus and Frank do with Lily and Madison and Alice. So what? Snogging in private is much better. Exciting, even, since it has to be kept a secret. This is a good thing._

_Just who are you trying to convince?_ a voice inside Sirius' head asked him.

_Oh, shut up_, he told the voice.

Just then James and Lily came over to him. Lily was still angry with him, Sirius knew, but James just wanted him and Remus to get along. "You've got to talk to Remus," James said, sitting down next to his friend. "School's out in a little over a week, and you can't go the whole summer without talking to him."

"Maybe he needs that time to cool off," Sirius suggested.

Lily scowled at him. "No, he doesn't. And if you two don't make up, Madison will start asking questions."

"Remus still hasn't told her?" Sirius asked, surprised.

"No," James replied. "You know how he is."

"Yeah, but – "

He stopped talking as Madison came over to them. "Hey guys," she said cheerfully.

"Hey," they replied.

"Guess what I just heard?"

Her three friends exchanged glances. "What?" they asked apprehensively.

"Serena just broke up with Eric."

Sirius didn't say anything, and James looked disinterested. "Why?" Lily asked, shooting a quick look at Sirius.

Madison shrugged. "I haven't talked to her yet. I heard from Isabelle, who heard from Gregory, whose sister is a seventh year Ravenclaw and is a friend of Eric's."

"Gossip at its finest," James remarked.

Sirius stood up. "I'm going to go visit Remus," he told his friends.

"Really? Wait, I was going to go too," Madison said, also standing up.

Sirius shot James and Lily helpless glances, but his friends didn't know what to say. Just then Serena came back into the common room. "Serena! I heard you broke up with Eric!" Madison said, descending down upon her friend.

"Yeah, I did," Serena said, glancing quickly at Sirius.

As Madison, Lily, and Serena started talking about Serena's break-up, Sirius slipped out to go down and talk to Remus.

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"So he's still mad?" Serena asked Sirius.

A few days later, they were sitting together on a couch in the common room. "Yeah," Sirius said with a sigh. "At least he's not mad at you anymore – just me. I think I'm just going to have to wait it out. He'll get over it eventually."

Serena rubbed his arm reassuringly. "Hey," Sirius said, lowering his voice. "Let's get out of here."

Serena grinned. "Okay."

The two of them climbed out of the portrait hole and made their way to an abandoned classroom. Over the past few days, finding secret places to snog had become their new pastime. Abandoned classrooms, the Astronomy tower – even one of the greenhouses. Sirius closed the door of the classroom, and Serena performed a Locking Charm on it.

Sirius came up behind her and put his arms around her, kissing her neck. "Wait," Serena said.

"What?" Sirius asked as she turned around to face him.

She flushed slightly. "You need to stop leaving hickeys on my neck."

Sirius smirked. "I'm serious!" Serena said, hitting him lightly on the arm. "I can't always hide them, and Isabelle or Rosie will start to ask questions."

Sirius sighed. "Fine," he said, kissing her.

Serena wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back.

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"I don't know what to do anymore!" Madison yelled, throwing up her hands in frustration.

She and Remus were outside the castle, arguing. Madison had noticed that something was going on between him and Sirius, and when she asked him about it, Remus hadn't given her a straight answer.

"How is this _my_ fault?" Remus asked, growing angry himself.

"Because, Remus, you don't tell me anything! I never know what's going on with you! One minute you're fine, and the next you're lying in the hospital wing, or visiting your mother, or any of the other hundreds of excuses that you come up with."

"Madison – "

"And then there's this thing with Sirius. James knows, Lily knows, Serena knows, Peter knows, but do I know? No! _I'm_ your girlfriend, Remus! Why don't I know?"

"I thought you didn't want to be anyone's girlfriend," Remus said slowly.

Madison crossed her arms. "I don't want to be just _anyone's_ girlfriend, Remus."

She gave him a sad smile. "Don't you know by now? Don't you know how much I care about you and want to be with you?"

"I – "

"And it hurts, Remus," Madison continued, not giving him a chance to say anything. "It hurts when I know that you're lying to me."

She paused, then took a deep breath. "Are you seeing someone else?"

"What? No! Madison, you know me better than that," Remus said, sounding genuinely hurt.

"Do I?" she asked sadly.

Remus put his hands on her shoulders. "Madison, listen to me. I didn't want to – I didn't know how to tell you. Maybe I didn't want you to know."

"Know what?"

"My secret."

"What is it?" Madison asked quietly.

"Madison – I'm a werewolf."

She froze. "What?" she whispered. "No. That's impossible."

Remus didn't say anything as she continued to talk to herself out loud. "Every month – you disappear. It's every month. Is that when it happens? Oh my gosh, that's when it happens."

Suddenly she hit Remus. "I can't believe you've kept this from me the entire time!" she said.

She smacked him again. "I thought you wanted to break up with me! I thought you were seeing someone else! And _this_ is what you've been keeping from me?"

Remus was looking shell-shocked as Madison kept rambling and hitting him. She wasn't disgusted. She wasn't frightened. She was just angry that he hadn't told her.

Suddenly Remus grinned, leaned forward, and stopped Madison from yelling by kissing her. "What was that for?" she asked.

"Because I love you."

Remus froze, realizing what he had just said. Madison hadn't moved either. "What did you just say?" she asked.

"Uh – "

Madison came closer and wrapped her arms around him. "You know – maybe we should consider trying a serious relationship," she said.

"How serious?" Remus asked.

Madison smiled. "Extremely serious. Because I love you too."

Remus tightened his arms around her. "Whatever you say."

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Later that day, Madison went up to her room and found Lily and Serena already there. "Good, I wanted to talk to you two," she said.

"About what?" Serena asked.

"What happened to you? You look happy," Lily commented.

"Remus and I agreed to be in a serious relationship. Because he loves me and I love him."

"Oh, Maddie, that's great!" Lily squealed, giving her friend a hug.

"And he told me everything."

Serena and Lily exchanged a look. "Everything?" Serena asked.

Madison nodded.

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Remus came over to James, Sirius, and Peter and sat down. They were surprised; usually, if Sirius was there, Remus wouldn't come over. "How it going, Moony?" James asked cautiously.

"Good. I told Madison everything."

"Everything?" Peter asked.

"Yes, everything."

"What'd she say?" James asked his friend.

Remus grinned. "She was mad that I didn't tell her."

James grinned back at his friend. "Good for you," he said.

"And she thinks I should get over being mad at you," Remus added, looking at Sirius.

Sirius looked back at his friend seriously. "And what do you think about that?" he asked.

Remus shrugged. "It can't hurt to try."

Sirius gave him a relieved smile.

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A few days later, and the school year was over. Peter, James, Lily, Remus, Madison, Sirius, Serena, Frank, Alice, and Rosie were all sitting together. Isabelle had left them to go sit with Gregory. "I can't believe that the next time we're on this train, we'll be starting our last year of school," Lily said.

Her friends nodded in agreement. "I've gotten so used to seeing you all every day," Serena said. "It's going to be weird, this summer."

"We'll still see each other!" Alice protested. "After all, we all passed our Apparation tests."

The sixth years had taken their tests for their Apparation licenses in the last week of school. Peter and Rosie had barely passed, but the rest had done it easily. "Do you know where you're living yet, Serena?" Rosie asked her friend.

Serena shook her head. "Al's coming to pick me up at the train station. I'll find out then."

"But you won't be able to write us with your address, will you?" Peter asked.

"No," Serena said. "I'll just Apparate to your houses, I guess."

The Gryffindors spent the rest of the train ride talking, laughing, eating, and playing Exploding Snap. Lily and Remus had left many times for prefect duty – which mainly consisted of patrolling the train for short periods of time – before returning to their train compartment. Isabelle had returned as well.

When the train pulled into the station, the students all piled out. Remus and Madison, Frank and Alice, and James and Lily kissed each other goodbye. Sirius and Serena looked at each other. They had already kissed goodbye earlier, but both found themselves wishing they could do it again.

Just then someone yelled, "Serena!"

Serena looked up and saw her brother coming towards her. Her whole face lit up as she ran to give her brother a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered to him.

"Same goes, kid."

They made their way back to the train to collect Serena's trunk, and her friends were all still standing there. "These are my friends," Serena said. "You remember Lily – "

"Of course I do," Al said with a grin.

He gave her a hug, lifting her off the ground. "Just as beautiful as ever," he said.

Lily gave a little laugh, blushing a bit. "Oh, Al, stop," she said.

Sirius, who had been frowning when Serena had run up to a strange man and hugged him before realizing that he was her brother, now smiled. He nudged Peter, and the two tried not to laugh. James was scowling and definitely did not look happy. "Oh, Al, stop," Sirius said in a high voice to Peter, who laughed out loud at his imitation of Lily.

Serena quickly introduced the rest of her friends to Al. They all talked for a moment before splitting up to find their families. Serena followed her brother out of the train station, and they made their way to their new home.

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"What was that all about, anyway?" James asked Sirius that night.

He and Sirius had gone home with James' parents and were in the Potter house. James had been scowling and talking about Lily and Al for almost the entire time, and he was driving Sirius crazy.

"Come on, James," Sirius said. "It's just Serena's brother. He was just being nice to Lily because she's Serena's friend."

"He called Lily beautiful."

Sirius rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. "So? What, are you saying she's ugly?"

"No, of course not. But – "

"James, do me a favor. Shut up."

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The next morning, James and Sirius were eating breakfast on their own – Mr. and Mrs. Potter had already gone in to work – when an owl swooped in and dropped a letter on Sirius' plate. "Who's it from?" James asked, looking at Sirius in surprise.

Sirius _never_ received any letters. "I don't know," Sirius said, looking as surprised as James did.

He ripped it open, half expecting it to be from Serena. But it wasn't.

His eyes scanned the letter quickly before he looked up. "It's my Uncle Arphad," Sirius said to James.

"What about him?"

"He's died and left everything to me."

James' eyes widened. "Whoa."

"Yeah, I know. He was the only other normal person in my family – I guess that's why he left me all his money."

"What are you going to do with it?" James asked.

Sirius thought about it for a moment. He thought about Serena, and how hard it would be to see her alone as long as he lived with James. "I'm going to find my own flat," he said to his friend.

"Oh yeah?" James asked, looking interested.

Sirius nodded, liking the idea even better the more he thought about it. He grinned at his friend. "Then, when your parents are gone at work……you and Lily can have some alone time."

James groaned. "I can't believe I told you we haven't done it yet."

"That was pretty stupid of you," Sirius said cheerfully.

James grimaced.

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"So what did you find out?" Serena asked her brother. "You wrote me awhile ago that you found something out. What was it?"

Al sat down at the kitchen table, and Serena followed suit. "I found out what Mom was working on before she died."

"You did?" Serena asked, shocked. "But she worked for the Department of Mysteries. How could you have found out?"

"I have my ways," Al said vaguely. "Anyway, the thing Mom was studying? Horcruxes."

"I've never heard of it before," Serena said.

"A Horcrux – it's something someone could put part of their soul in. Something to protect himself from dying."

"Voldemort," Serena said quietly.

Al nodded. "But if that's why Mom was killed – because she had guessed what he was going to do," Serena said slowly. "Why kill Dad? Why go after us? I was only eight when she died. I couldn't possibly know about her research."

"I don't know," Al said, putting an arm around his sister. "I just don't know."

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_**Author's Note:**_** Review, review, review!!! I love getting reviews!!!**


	12. Are You Gonna Be My Girl

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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A few days later, Serena Apparated to Lily's house. She knocked on the front door and was relieved when Lily answered.

Serena had been spending the past few afternoons at the Evans home since her brother was usually gone for the entire day. Mr. and Mrs. Evans were both very nice, although Mr. Evans was gone at work during the day, but Lily's sister Petunia was just awful. Apparently she was engaged to some Muggle named Vernon, and she spent every waking moment planning her wedding. Mrs. Evans was helping, of course, but Lily and Serena usually escaped upstairs.

"Quick, make a run for it," Lily whispered, and the two dashed up the stairs.

They locked themselves in Lily's room. "Tomorrow we're going to my house," Serena said to her friend.

Lily nodded. "Agreed."

Serena had told Lily her address, and Lily had passed it on to James and Sirius. She thought that by now, all of their friends would know it – except for Peter, who was vacationing in Hungary with his mother. "I miss everyone," Serena said.

"I know, me too. I've only seen you, James, and Sirius since the summer's started."

"And I've only seen you," Serena said.

Truth be told, she missed Sirius terribly – even though it had been less than a week since school had ended. Serena knew that this was definitely not a good sign, since she and Sirius had agreed to keep it casual. "Hey, James wants us to go looking for a flat with him and Sirius sometime tomorrow," Lily told Serena as she sat on her bed and started flipping through Witch Weekly.

"James is getting a flat?"

Lily shook her head. "No, Sirius is. His uncle died and left him some money, so he's getting a flat."

Serena didn't say anything, and Lily smiled to herself. Serena always seemed to stop herself from asking Lily any questions about Sirius, although Lily knew that her friend wanted to. Serena had it bad for Sirius, and Lily wanted to spend some time watching the two of them together to see how Sirius felt.

Frank and Alice, Remus and Madison – Lily would love to add Serena and Sirius to her list of friends who had coupled up.

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The next day, Lily Apparated to Serena's house in a good mood. Her plan was going to work perfectly. Her family thought she was at Serena's all day. James' parents were at work all day. If she and James ditched Serena and Sirius, then they could be alone at James' house.

_Besides,_ Lily told herself. _Maybe with some alone time, something could happen between Serena and Sirius._

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That same morning, Sirius also awoke in a good mood. All he had to do was figure out a way to ditch James and Lily, and then he could finally be alone with Serena. He felt like he hadn't seen her in weeks.

He went down to the kitchen and he and James both ate breakfast more quickly than usual. "Is it time yet?" Sirius asked James.

James looked at his watch. "Well – it's a little early. But who cares?"

With that, both boys Apparated into Serena's kitchen.

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Lily, Serena, and Al were sitting around the breakfast table when James and Sirius Apparated right into the kitchen, causing all three of them to jump. "What are you doing?" Lily asked.

"You can't Apparate into someone's kitchen!" Al said, sounding annoyed.

Serena hurried to smooth things over. "It's fine, Al. This way no one saw them coming in from outside."

Al and James didn't like each other. James didn't like Al because he thought Al liked Lily. Al didn't like James because James had never been very nice to him. "Sirius, right?" Al asked.

Serena had introduced him to all of her friends, but Lily and James were the only ones he remembered – Lily because he had actually spent time with her, and James because he was a jerk. "Yeah, that's me," Sirius said, trying his best to avoid looking at Serena.

Serena, meanwhile, was also trying not to look at Sirius. Why had she thought that keeping this a secret was a good idea? She wanted nothing more to be able to kiss Sirius right now.

Serena looked to the side and saw Lily staring at her, a knowing look in her eye. Serena gave her friend an innocent look. _Oh yeah. That's why._

"I'm going to go," Al said, getting up.

"'Bye Al," Lily said.

"'Bye Lily. Nice to meet you again," he said to Sirius, pretty much ignoring James all together.

Serena followed her brother to the front hall. "Your friend James is a prick," Al said, putting on his cloak.

Serena rolled her eyes. "He thinks you like Lily."

"Give me a break. She's _your_ age. Practically a kid."

"I'll be sure to pass that message on to James," Serena said.

Al shrugged. "I don't care if you do or not. But tell him not to Apparate into our kitchen anymore. I was about to curse the hell out of him."

"I'll tell him."

She gave her brother a hug, he stepped outside, and with a loud crack he disappeared. Serena went back into the kitchen, where Sirius was sitting with his feet propped on the table and James and Lily were arguing. Sirius patted the seat next to him. "Front row for the show," he told Serena with a grin.

Serena grinned back and sat down. Sirius squeezed her hand quickly before going back to watching James and Lily.

"Should we be finding this amusing?" Serena whispered as their friends continued to argue, Lily threatening to hex James so bad he wouldn't be able to speak for a month.

She and Sirius were both trying very hard not to laugh. "Probably not," Sirius said. "But I've always had a weird sense of humor."

Finally, Serena got bored, and she stood up to put an end to her friends' fight. She moved in between them and put a Silencing Charm on both. "Now listen to me, both of you," she said.

She looked at Lily. "Lily, I know that James is being a stupid prat, but instead of yelling at him, maybe you should just reassure him that he's your boyfriend. He seems very insecure."

At that, James let out a muffled grunt as he tried to talk, but couldn't. He settled for glaring at Serena instead. Serena turned to him. "James, you're really being very stupid. You don't have to worry about my brother and Lily. For one thing, he thinks of her as a kid. And Lily, for some unfathomable reason, is in love with you."

She broke the Silencing Charms on her friends, and they exchanged a look. Serena was pleased with herself when she saw that they no longer seemed angry with one another. However, they then turned to Serena and started yelling at her, objecting to what she had said.

Serena groaned. Sirius came up behind her. "You should have just watched the show," he said with a shake of his head.

She sighed.

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Later that day, after James and Lily had made up with each other and Serena, the four friends made their way to London to go looking for a flat for Sirius. An hour later Sirius, who wasn't very picky, had found one that he liked and before they knew it, it was his.

"I'll come by and get my stuff from your place later," he said to James, who nodded in assent.

"Well – it's been fun, Sirius – I'm glad you have your own place," Lily said.

She elbowed James, who hastily added, "We'll give you some time alone. We're going to go back to my place."

Serena grinned to herself. "Oh, can I come, too?" she asked innocently.

The expressions on James and Lily's faces were priceless. "Um – " James started.

"Uh – we – that is – " Lily stammered.

"Oh, never mind, I'll just go on home. See you later!" Serena said with a smile.

James and Lily looked immensely relieved. "'Bye Serena, 'bye Sirius," they said.

With a loud crack, they both Disapparated. "Finally!" Serena said, turning to Sirius.

"I thought they'd never leave," he said, putting his arms around her.

He began kissing her. "I missed you," Serena said in between kisses.

She could feel Sirius smile against her mouth. "I know," he said, talking between kisses as well. "I'm irresistible."

Serena, who had been running her hands through his hair, pulled it a little at his comment. Sirius nipped her lip in response.

Oh, she had missed him.

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A few weeks later, Serena had a routine. She ate breakfast with Al, who then disappeared for the rest of the day. She then Apparated to Sirius' apartment and spent the rest of the day with him. They usually met up with James and Lily, or Remus and Madison, later in the afternoon – all the while keeping it from their friends that they were together.

Serena didn't mind keeping her relationship with Sirius a secret. She found it more exciting, actually. And a part of her was afraid that if everyone knew, they would make a big deal out of it and it would be ruined somehow.

_And when this is ruined……when it ends……then what will happen? _Serena wondered. _Can Sirius and I still be friends?_

Serena hoped so. She really liked Sirius, not just as a boyfriend, but as a friend. He was funny, smart, loyal, fun. He was also arrogant, stubborn, and quick-tempered. Still, she loved spending time with him. It was never dull.

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Sirius' routine almost mirrored Serena's. He would wake up, scrounge around for something to eat, then make sure he was back at his apartment by the time Serena would Apparate there. He would spend the morning with her, then usually see some of his other friends in the afternoon. At night, he went home with James and ate dinner with the Potters before returning back to his flat to go to sleep.

Sirius liked it. He liked how he got to spend every day – with Serena and a few friends. He even still got to see Mr. and Mrs. Potter, who were practically his parents as well as James'.

_And Serena's pretty great. She's pretty, smart, funny. She has the same mean sense of humor that I do; it's nice to be with a girl who doesn't constantly tell me I'm awful for playing pranks and laughing at people – is it my fault people do stupid things that are funny? I definitely want to keep seeing her for awhile. I mean, sure, it annoys me sometimes that we're hiding our relationship because I can't kiss her or anything in front of our friends, but everything's great otherwise._

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A week later, Serena made it home mere minutes before her brother did. "Hey," Serena greeted her brother as he came into the kitchen.

He didn't say anything. "What happened?" Serena asked apprehensively.

"Uncle Alastor's been hurt. He's at St. Mungo's."

"Oh no! Will he be all right? How did it happen?"

"He should be fine. It was Death Eaters," Al replied. "Uncle was sent there by the Ministry when the Dark Mark was seen hovering over the Montgomery home."

"Montgomery?" Serena repeated. "I know a Montgomery – a Hufflepuff fifth year, Evan Montgomery."

She looked at her brother, who stared back at her sadly. "Oh," Serena said softly.

"I'm sorry," Al said. "The entire family was home."

"Why?" Serena asked. "Why the Montgomerys?

"The parents were Muggle-born," Al said simply.

"It's not fair, Al," Serena said as her brother put his arm around her. "How long will it take for someone to stop Voldemort?"

"I don't know."

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The next morning, Serena and Al went to the hospital to visit their uncle. Serena had written Sirius a brief note before she had left, simply saying that she couldn't see him today because she was spending it with her brother. "Hello Uncle," Serena said as she and Al went into his hospital room.

Serena's uncle, Alastor Moody, looked at her and her brother grumpily. "No reason for you two to come see me," he told them gruffly.

Serena kissed her uncle's cheek, even as he made a show of rolling his eyes and shaking his head. She knew that he actually liked it when she showed affection towards him, although he would never say it out loud. "You knew we'd come, Uncle Alastor," Al said to his uncle, rolling his own eyes.

Serena took a step back and looked at her uncle. A big bandage covered his nose and one eye, and Serena wondered what his face would now look like without the bandages. Serena had decided long ago that although she hated Dark wizards, she would never be an Auror. Seeing her uncle – how he lived, how he looked – had been enough to put her off that career track.

"Did your brother tell you what he found out?" he asked.

Serena nodded. "Yes."

She sat down in the chair next to her uncle's bed. "Do you have any idea why he's after us, Uncle?" she asked, a hint of urgency in her tone. "A part of me, although it makes me sick, can understand why he killed Mother – maybe even why he killed my father. But why me and Al? We can't possibly know anything about Mother's research. So why come after us?"

"I don't know yet," her uncle replied, looking at Serena and Al. "Dumbledore, your brother, and I are working on finding out why. Voldemort may be mad, but he that doesn't mean he doesn't have what he considers sound reasons for wanting you two dead."

"All we have to do is stay alive long enough to figure it out," Al added wryly.

"And then what?" Serena asked. "How will that help us figure out a way to avoid certain death?"

"Constant vigilance," her uncle barked. "If you know why someone's after you, it can always help you escape him."

_If that's true_, Serena thought. _We better find out why he wants us dead soon._

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Sirius had received Serena's owl early that morning, and it had thrown him to realize that his whole day was planned around her. If she wasn't coming over to his flat……then who would he spend his time with? He decided to head over to James' house. "Sirius," James said, looking surprised. "You're here early."

"Is Lily here?" Sirius asked.

"Not yet."

Sirius knew that since he had moved out, and James' parents were gone all day, Lily had been spending a lot of time at James' house. He also knew what it meant – James and Lily had had sex. Well, and James had told him that, of course.

Finally. Sirius couldn't believe that it was the first time his friend had done it since he had started dating Lily. That was more than a year!

_That's insane,_ he told himself. Sure, he and Serena hadn't done it yet either, but it had only been a month or two. _Plenty of time._

Not that he was only with Serena for sex. He could get with any girl for that. He really liked her.

Sirius' thoughts were interrupted when Lily arrived. "Hey Sirius," she said after greeting James with a kiss.

He grinned at her. "Where's my hello kiss?" he asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Alice and Frank want us to meet them at Diagon Alley," she said. "They thought we could go shopping."

"Shopping?" Sirius repeated.

"You can stop in the Quidditch store," Lily told him in a sing-song voice.

"Oh, all right," Sirius grumbled.

They Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, then sat there waiting for Frank and Alice. "So where's Serena?" James asked while they waited.

"With her brother," Sirius answered.

"At the hospital," Lily replied at the same time.

"What?" Sirius asked, turning to Lily.

"She and Al went to visit her uncle," Lily explained.

"Why is her uncle in the hospital?" James asked.

Lily shrugged, her eyes on Sirius. Sirius hadn't said anything else, but he didn't look happy. She could tell that something was bothering him. Maybe that Serena hadn't confided in him?

Lily smiled to herself. If that was true, then Sirius definitely had a thing for Serena. And that pleased Lily immensely.

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"So how's it going with Gregory?"

Serena was at Isabelle's house. After she and Al had spent most of the day at St. Mungo's with their uncle, they had gone home and Al had said he would be gone for awhile. He didn't want Serena to stay home alone, and she had agreed to go to Isabelle's, whom she had barely spent any time with over the summer. She missed her friend.

"It's going well, I think," Isabelle said. "He's my first boyfriend, and I just – I really like him, and I don't want to do anything wrong, you know?"

"You can't do anything wrong," Serena said. "Just be yourself. He likes you for you."

Isabelle smiled. "How about you? Anyone lately?"

Serena ran her pendant back and forth on its chain. "Me? I spend most of my days with Sirius, James, and Lily. What do you think?"

"Well, James is with Lily, and you and Sirius?"

Isabelle gave a little laugh. "What? What's so funny?" Serena asked, confused.

"Just the idea of you and Sirius……it's funny."

"Why?" Serena asked, trying not to sound defensive as Isabelle kept laughing.

Her friend sobered up a bit as she tried to explain. "It's just – you hated him. Sure, you're friends now, but still. And besides, this is Sirius. It's not like it would be a lasting relationship."

_Why do people keep telling me that?_ Serena asked herself, trying to ignore how much it bothered her to think about Sirius getting tired of her.

"Well, who says I want a lasting relationship?" Serena countered.

Isabelle looked surprised. "What's the big deal?" she asked. "It's not like you and Sirius are a couple."

"Right," Serena agreed.

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The next day Serena overslept. She got dressed, ate breakfast on her own – Al had already left for the morning – and then Apparated to Sirius' flat. "Hey," he said as she came in.

Serena had let herself into his flat, and he was sitting on the couch. He didn't get up, and Serena came over and sat down next to him. "Hey," she said, leaning in and giving him a kiss.

Sirius didn't really kiss her back, and Serena pulled back. "What's the matter?" she asked, confused.

"Where were you yesterday?" he asked.

"Didn't you get my note?"

"Yeah. Why didn't you tell me you were at the hospital? I had to find out from Lily."

Serena felt surprised. "I barely had time to write you a note – my uncle was hurt in a Death Eater attack, and Al took me to the hospital to see him."

"But you had time to write to Lily."

"Well – yeah, I guess – why are you so upset?" Serena asked.

"You told Lily, and not me."

Serena felt herself growing angry. What was he getting at? Why was he mad at her? "So what?" she asked, her voice growing louder. "What's your problem?"

Serena saw the moment Sirius snapped. He had been sitting there, jaw clenched, talking to her in a voice he had been fighting to control, but at her anger his own was unleashed. He stood up, pacing as he yelled. "_My_ problem?" he repeated, sounding incredulous. "_I_ don't have a problem, you do! Why wouldn't you tell me your uncle was in the hospital? Am I not important enough to you?"

"You know that's not it. I – "

"I'll tell you what your problem is," Sirius continued, his voice unnaturally loud. "You don't let anyone in. Everything's always a secret. And – "

"That is not true!" Serena protested furiously. "What have I held back from you?"

"Why didn't you tell me where you were yesterday?"

"Oh. My. GOD!" Serena screamed, throwing her hands in the air. "How can you be so hung up on this?"

"Because you told Lily and not me!" Sirius roared.

"Stop yelling at me!" Serena said, covering her ears with her hands.

"You're screaming right back at me!" Sirius said, reaching over and yanking her hands away from her ears.

Serena ripped her hands away from him, gave him a fulminating look, and Disapparated.

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Sirius was furious. He couldn't believe she had just left! They were in the middle of an argument; she couldn't leave!

_It figures that she'd run away to avoid confrontation. After all, when she's angry and yelling, something she doesn't want anyone to know usually slips out. Why would she tell Lily and not me? Did she do it on purpose? Why?_

Sirius didn't understand why this was bothering him so much. So Serena had told Lily and not him. What was the big deal?

Suddenly Sirius realized something. The reason this was upsetting him so much was because he wanted to be the first to know when things happened in Serena's life. Lily was Serena's best friend, but if Sirius was her boyfriend, than he would take precedence in her life. Being Serena's friend and snogging partner wasn't enough; he wanted a serious relationship with her. He wanted her to be his girlfriend.

Feeling slightly unsettled, Sirius decided that the sooner he informed Serena of his decision, the better. He got ready to Apparate to her house.

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After Apparating back to her house, Serena paced back and forth angrily in her kitchen. Sirius was being so pigheaded and unreasonable that she just had to escape.

_What the hell is his problem, anyway? Yes, I wrote Lily first and told her, and then I didn't have time to write Sirius the whole story. So what? It's not like I did it on purpose. I just ran out of time. Besides, it was no excuse for him to get so angry with me. He's just so quick-tempered._

Serena suddenly heard a loud crack and whirled, her wand at the ready. She sighed in anger and lowered her wand. "What are you doing here?" she snapped at him. "You're following me now?"

He grinned at her. "Sorry, sweetheart," he said, walking towards her slowly.

She backed up. "What's going on? Why are you smiling at me?" she asked.

His grin widened, and he kept moving towards her as she kept backing up. She stopped when she hit a wall. "Uh-oh," Sirius said, putting his hands on the wall beside her shoulders. "Now you're cornered."

Serena was utterly confused. "Why aren't you mad anymore?" she asked, looking wary.

"I had an idea," he replied.

"What was it?" Serena asked suspiciously.

"I want you to be my girlfriend."

Sirius tried to hide his anxiety as Serena stared at him. "What?"

"You heard me," Sirius snapped out.

Serena's eyes narrowed, and he tried smiling at her again. "You don't like serious relationships," she told him.

"That's true."

"And I don't either."

"Right," Sirius agreed.

"I've only had one serious relationship before."

"And I've never had one," Sirius put in helpfully.

Serena stared at him for a moment, not saying anything, and he stared back at her hoping she couldn't see the nervousness in his eyes. Suddenly her face broke out into a smile. "Then I guess I'll be your first," she said, her voice full of innuendo.

Feeling happy and relieved, Sirius leaned forward and kissed her, his hands still pressed against the wall. Serena, pressed against the wall, kissed him back passionately.

"What the hell are you doing?" a voice boomed out behind them.

Serena and Sirius froze. "It's Al," she whispered.

Sirius backed up and turned around, seeing Serena's angry brother. "You're home early," Serena said to him.

"Sorry, did I interrupt?" he asked sarcastically.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Come on, Al. Quit being – "

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," he snapped at her, taking a step closer to his sister.

Uneasy with Al's anger, Sirius unconsciously took a step in front of Serena. Al noticed this and glared at Sirius. "You think I'd hurt my sister?" he asked Sirius, his voice hard.

Sirius, who tended to go on the offensive when attacked, shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe," he said casually, knowing it was the right thing to do to irritate Al.

Serena groaned, and Al's eyes flashed menacingly. "Get the hell out of my house."

"Al – " Serena started.

"Get out!" he yelled at Sirius.

Sirius didn't move, and seeing Al's face darken even more, Serena turned to Sirius. "Just go, okay?" Serena asked. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"No you won't," Al put in.

"Shut up, Al," Serena snapped.

"Serena – " Sirius started, glaring at Al.

"Just go. Please?"

She looked at him with pleading eyes, and Sirius felt himself weaken. "All right," he agreed.

With a last glare at Al, Sirius Disapparated.

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_**Author's Note:**_** Review, please. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE reviews.**


	13. Secret's Out

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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By nightfall, Sirius was not in a good mood. He kept wondering about Serena and her brother. What would her brother do? He didn't really think Al would do anything to Serena, of course; he hadn't even realized he had stepped in front of her protectively until Al had called him on it. But Sirius knew that Serena worshipped her brother. It was obvious from the way she talked about and acted around him. Would he convince Serena not to see Sirius anymore? What would Serena say to Al?

Sirius had been quiet during dinner at the Potters, and after his parents had cleared out James seized his chance. "What's going on with you?" he asked Sirius.

Sirius weighed his options. He could keep quiet, like he and Serena had agreed – or he could tell James and make James promise to keep it quiet. Sirius had never kept anything from James before, and he didn't like the idea of doing it now. "It's Serena," Sirius told his best friend.

"Serena?" James asked. "We didn't even see her today."

"I did."

"You – " James broke off, looking at the expression on his oldest friend's face.

James stared at his friend, then grinned. "You and Serena? Since when?"

"About a week or two before school ended."

James' grin faltered a bit. "That long?" was all he said.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "Look, mate, Serena and I agreed not to tell anyone," he explained. "We just thought it would be – easier."

"Does she know you're telling me?"

Sirius looked uncomfortable. "No. And you can't tell anyone, especially Lily. No one knows – except for her brother."

Sirius and James both scowled. "Is that why you're been so quiet?" James asked. "Her brother doesn't like you?"

"Al kind of – uh – came home early today……" Sirius trailed off.

James smirked. "Did he interrupt something?"

Sirius couldn't help but give a cocky grin. "What do you think?"

"So what'd Al do? He doesn't seem like the type to just ignore it."

"Oh, he was pissed."

Sirius proceeded to tell James what had happened. Once he was finished, James clapped a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Good luck with that, Padfoot," James said.

His voice didn't sound very reassuring.

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"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Al asked Serena after Sirius had left.

Serena could feel her anger growing. "I think that was pretty obvious, Al," she said mockingly.

"Don't you dare use that tone with me."

"'Use that tone'?" Serena repeated. "Who do you think you are?"

"I'm your older brother," Al snapped at her. "And I am in charge."

"You do _not_ run my life, or control who I date," Serena informed him, her tone icy.

Al leaned in towards his sister. His height forced her to look up at him, and Al was trying his best to use that to his advantage in intimidating his sister. "You are not dating _him_ anymore," Al said.

"Oh yes I am," Serena said. "He's my boyfriend. We've been dating since right before school ended, and nothing you say or do is going to change that."

Serena could practically feel the fury emanating from her brother. "You are not allowed to see him anymore," Al said through clenched teeth.

"I can if I want to," Serena told him calmly, then Disapparated.

Serena knocked on Lily's front door. It was getting late, but the lights were still on inside the house. "Serena!" Mr. Evans exclaimed, looking surprised. "I didn't know you were coming over."

"Hello, Mr. Evans," Serena said. "Is Lily home?"

"Yes, I'll get her for you. Come in, come in," he said, stepping back so that Serena could come into the front hall.

"Dad, who is it?" Lily asked from upstairs.

She started walking down the stairs and saw Serena standing there. "Serena!" she said, sounding surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I – uh – " she glanced at Mr. Evans, who was easily within hearing distance. "I wanted to know if we could hang out."

Lily also glanced at her father. "Sure. Let's go up to my room."

Serena followed her friend up the stairs and Lily closed the door once they were inside her room. "Okay, what happened?" she asked.

"Al and I got into a huge fight. Can I spend the night here?"

"Of course you can," Lily said immediately.

She sat on her bed while Serena took the desk chair. "So what did you and Al fight about?"

Serena hesitated before answering. "Sirius," she finally said.

Lily couldn't help but smile. "Sirius? Really."

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Serena asked her friend suspiciously.

"Why were you and Al arguing about Sirius?" Lily asked innocently.

Serena sighed. "We said we wouldn't tell anyone, but Sirius and I are – seeing each other. We have been since a week or two before school ended."

"I knew it!" Lily exclaimed. "I knew that something was going on with you two."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Well, congratulations," she said sarcastically. "But you can't tell anyone. Except for Al, no one else knows."

"How did he find out?" Lily asked.

Serena blushed a little. "He – walked in on us – "

"Oh, no," Lily said, stifling a laugh.

Serena smiled a little herself. "He started yelling for Sirius to get out, which he finally did, and then we were arguing, and then I came here. He probably thinks I went to see Sirius."

"And when you don't come home tonight?" Lily asked.

Serena smiled smugly. Yes, that would definitely make her brother mad.

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It was almost noon the next day, and Sirius hadn't heard anything from Serena. He paced around his flat. _I thought she would at least send me a note. What did her brother say to her?_

Quickly making a decision, Sirius Apparated to Serena's house. He knocked on the door, and wasn't happy when it was thrown open to reveal Al. "What are you doing here?" he asked Sirius angrily.

"Where's Serena?" Sirius asked, ignoring the question.

Al crossed his arms. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I haven't seen her since yesterday," Sirius told him. "Obviously."

"I – I haven't either," Al admitted.

"What?" Sirius asked, his voice growing louder.

"Shut up," Al hissed, glancing around furtively.

He stood back and reluctantly allowed Sirius to come in. "She left after we argued – "

"Yeah, she's good at that," Sirius muttered.

" – and she hasn't come home yet. I thought she was with you."

"Well, she wasn't," Sirius snapped.

Al looked thoughtful for a moment, then brightened. "Lily. She's probably at Lily's."

Sirius felt relieved, although he didn't say so to Al. "Maybe you should keep track of your sister," he suggested.

Al glared. "Do not screw with me, kid," he said icily.

"I'm not a kid," Sirius growled, irritated.

Al ran a hand over his face. "Yes you are. Just like my sister."

"I – "

"Shut up," Al said sharply. "I'm trying to tell you something."

Sirius, surprisingly, stayed silent. "I still consider Serena to be a kid," he went on. "I probably always will. And – well, you are too. Just don't do anything stupid, and I'll leave you alone."

"I'll try my best," Sirius said mockingly.

Al rolled his eyes skyward. "You're a bastard. No wonder my sister didn't tell anyone she was dating you."

Sirius glared.

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The next morning, Serena couldn't believe how late it was when she woke up. She and Lily had stayed up most of the night talking, and they had both majorly overslept. "Serena, you better go," Lily said, waking up at the same time as her friend. "It's almost afternoon. Al's going to be worried."

Serena sighed. Now that she had slept on it, she wasn't really mad at her brother anymore. Serena could never hold onto her anger for very long; it was always short-lived. "I'm going to go home," Serena told Lily, getting out of bed. "Thanks for letting me stay here last night."

"What are friends for?"

Serena gave her friend a smile, then Disapparated. She opened the front door of her home and came to a stop upon entering. Al and Sirius were sitting side-by-side on the couch. Neither was saying anything, and neither looked happy. "Where were you?" Al asked, his voice dangerously low.

"At Lily's," Serena replied as she began walking into the kitchen.

Al and Sirius both followed her. "Uncle – " Al began.

"Oh, no, Al, you didn't tell Uncle I was gone all night," Serena said with a groan.

Just then there was a loud crack, and Alastor Moody was standing in the kitchen. "Serena Ashby!" he thundered.

Sirius looked wary, while Al smiled smugly at his sister. "How could you disappear like that?" he asked, his voice unnaturally loud.

"Uncle, I – " Serena tried to explain, but her uncle wouldn't hear of it.

He went on and on, speaking over Serena every time she tried to say something. Al was no help; he just stood there grinning like an idiot, thoroughly enjoying his sister's torture. Sirius didn't know what to do, so he ended up just standing there as well. A part of him was thrilled to actually see Mad-Eye Moody, the famous Auror, with his own eyes, but the other part of him wanted to get the hell out of the kitchen.

"And who are you?" Moody asked, finally looking at Sirius.

"Serena's boyfriend," Sirius replied, meeting Moody's gaze.

Moody cocked a grizzled eye. "And what's your name, boy?"

"Sirius Black."

"Sirius Black, eh?"

Moody gave Sirius an appraising look, then went back to yelling at Serena. Serena began yelling back and Al began yelling at Serena. Serena then began yelling at her brother, and Moody was now yelling at both of them.

Sirius just stood back. _They're all mad, not just Moody,_ Sirius thought. _This is complete bedlam._

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A few weeks later, Sirius and Al had reached a tentative truce. Sirius and Serena never went to Serena's house; going to Sirius' flat was much safer. No one would interrupt their snogging there. And as long as he didn't have to see Sirius with his sister, Al just pretended nothing was going on. All in all, both guys were pleased with the situation.

Serena and Sirius had spent the morning snogging in Sirius' flat, but they were meeting James, Lily, Remus, Madison, and Rosie at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley. "I haven't seen Rosie for such a long time," Serena remarked after she and Sirius Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and walked down the street to the ice cream parlor.

"I haven't seen her at all," Sirius said.

Sirius and Serena spent most of their time with James and Lily or Remus and Madison. Sirius hadn't told Serena that James knew about them; Serena hadn't told Sirius that Lily knew about their relationship; and Lily and James hadn't told each other that they knew about Sirius and Serena.

"Hey!" Rosie said as Serena and Sirius entered.

James and Lily were already there. Serena gave Rosie a hug. "I haven't seen you in forever!" Serena said, hugging her black-haired friend.

"I know!" Rosie said, hugging Serena back.

The two girls sat down, talking excitedly, and Lily joined in. James and Sirius looked at each other, then got up. "We'll go get some ice cream," James said, and Lily nodded at him distractedly.

"I hate being around girls when they get like that," Sirius said to his friend.

"I know," James agreed fervently. "They talk so fast, and they're all giggly, and I don't have a bloody clue what's going on."

The two ordered ice cream for their table, then leaned against the counter to talk instead of going back to face the girls. "So how're things with you and Serena?" James asked.

Sirius had told James about the circus at Lily's house when her uncle had shown up, in addition to her brother. He hadn't told James who Serena's uncle was; it wasn't his secret to tell. "They're going fine," Sirius said.

He gave James a knowing grin. "How're things going with Lily?"

Sirius knew that James and Lily had slept together. He also knew that while it hadn't been James' first time, it had been Lily's. "Good," James replied. "Have you and Serena……" he trailed off.

Sirius shook his head. "No. Not yet."

"You think she will……with you?"

Sirius flashed James a grin. "'Course. I'm irresistible."

"Riiiiight," James said disbelievingly, drawing the word out.

Just then Remus and Madison came in. Madison and the other girls squealed and hugged each other, then sat back down to talk again. Remus came over to stand with his friends. "Moony," Sirius said with a jerk of his head.

"Padfoot. Prongs," Remus acknowledged.

They stared at the girls, whose giggles could be heard across the ice cream parlor. "Wanna go to – " James started.

"Yeah," Remus and Sirius said in unison, cutting James off.

They headed off to check out the new broomsticks the Quidditch store had in stock.

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A few hours later Serena, Lily, Madison, and Rosie were walking around Diagon Alley. They had eaten some ice cream, figured that the boys had ditched them, and decided to go window-shopping. "Ooooh, look!" Rosie said, peering into the window of Madam Malkin's robe shop.

"Let's go in and take a look," Lily suggested.

Madison made a face. "Please don't do this to me," she pleaded with her friends.

"I'll stay out here with you," Serena volunteered. "You two go ahead."

Lily and Rosie went into the shop, and Serena and Madison kept walking. As they passed by Knockturn Alley, Serena couldn't help but sneak a glance down the street. "Look," she whispered to Madison. "Lestrange."

Madison peeked down the street as well, and she and Serena could see Lestrange with Wilkes and Rosier. Serena jumped when Lestrange looked up and met her eyes, and she elbowed Madison quickly. "Come on, let's keep going," she said in an undertone.

The girls walked off, then froze when they heard yells behind them. "Ashby! Ashby! Serena!"

"It's Lestrange," Madison hissed at her friend. "What should we do?"

"Well, there's nowhere to run," Serena hissed back.

Truth be told, they were still pretty close to the Knockturn Alley entrance. The healthy fear of anything related to Dark magic kept most other witches and wizards away, and no one else was anywhere near them. Serena and Madison were alone on the street with three Death Eaters – or future Death Eaters. Either way, it wasn't good.

The girls turned to find Lestrange, Wilkes, and Rosier walking towards them. Serena crossed her arms, her chin jutting out defiantly. "What do you want, Lestrange?" she asked, her voice cool.

He reached out and took Serena's chin in his hand before she even realized what he was doing. "Now now, Ashby, that's no way to talk to someone like me," Lestrange said, his voice mocking.

Serena jerked her face away from his hand. "Don't touch me," she snapped.

His eyes flashed. "I'll do whatever I damn well please," he said harshly.

He gave a slight nod, then took Serena's arm. "Come with me," he said, pulling on her arm.

Serena struggled to stand her ground. "I don't think so," she told him icily.

"Oh, I think so," he said with a laugh as both Wilkes and Rosier raised their wands and pointed them at Madison.

Madison instinctively took a step back. "Don't even think about reaching for your wand," Wilkes said to her.

"If you don't come with me," Lestrange continued. "Wilkes and Rosier – well – I don't really think they like your friend here."

Serena felt a flash of panic. Would they really hurt Madison in broad daylight just to get to her? Looking into the mad eyes of Rodolphus Lestrange, Serena could see that he would. "All right, I'll go with you," Serena capitulated.

"Serena, no! You can't!" Madison exclaimed, looking horrified.

"I'll be fine, Maddie," Serena said, already working out a plan in her mind.

"Serena – "

"Shut up," Rosier said to Madison in disdain.

Madison's eyes flashed with anger, but she remained silent. Lestrange and Serena, following Rosier and Wilkes, left Madison behind. After they had disappeared out of sight, Madison turned around and ran to the Quidditch store. She burst inside, finding Remus, Sirius, and James still in there.

"Madison?" Remus asked, coming up to her. "What's the matter?"

"Serena," Madison said.

"What about Serena?" Sirius asked sharply.

Madison started talking so fast the boys could barely understand her. "Serena – he called out to us – we were just walking – and we stopped, there was nowhere to go – no one was around – there were three of them – it was because of me – she left – he took her with him – "

"Who? Who took Serena?" Sirius interrupted.

"Lestrange. He – "

Sirius ran out of the store before Madison finished her sentence. James dashed out after his friend, and Remus put an arm around Madison. "Are you okay? Who else was there?"

"Lestrange, Rosier, and Wilkes," Madison said, leaning against Remus.

She looked at her boyfriend with stricken eyes. "Remus – she only went with them because of me. They said they'd hurt me if she didn't go with them. It's all my fault."

Remus kissed the top of her head. "It's not your fault," he told her firmly. "You can't control Rodolphus Lestrange."

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As Sirius ran towards Knockturn Alley – where else would Rodolphus Lestrange spend his time, after all? – only one thought was going through his mind. _Get to Serena._

James ran up beside him. "Sirius – " James began.

He looked sideways at his friend, then decided to keep his mouth shut. They were passing a pet store when Sirius stopped dead. He could see Serena inside. "James," Sirius said, gesturing towards the store.

James looked inside and saw Serena. "What – how – " James stuttered, confused.

"I don't know," Sirius said, answering James' unfinished questions.

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Serena looked around cautiously. She, Lestrange, Rosier, and Wilkes had been walking down the street when they had finally gotten far enough away from Knockturn Alley that other witches and wizards were out on the street. Serena had distracted Lestrange's attention away from her, then ducked into a pet shop. She had transformed into her cat form, then sat with the other cats when the three Death Eaters had come into the pet shop looking for her. They had appeared furious when they couldn't find her. Serena had stayed in cat form for a few more minutes, then changed back into her normal self and was about to leave the store when Sirius and James burst in.

"Serena!" Sirius said, rushing towards her.

He ran his hands up and down her arms reassuringly. "Are you okay?" he asked, giving her a tight hug.

"Yes," Serena said, her voice muffled against Sirius' chest.

Sirius tried to pull back to look at her and ask her what had happened, but her arms were wrapped too tightly around his neck. He could feel her shaking slightly and grew more worried. "Baby, are you okay?" he asked softly once again.

Serena didn't say anything for a minute, but then she pulled away from Sirius. "I – " she started, then broke off when she saw James standing there.

"It's okay," Sirius said, following her gaze. "He knows. I kinda – uh – told him a few weeks ago."

To Sirius and James' surprise and concern, Serena began to laugh. "Serena?" James asked. "What's so funny?"

"I told Lily a few weeks ago too," she said.

"She's known all this time and she didn't tell me?" James asked, sounding insulted.

"Did you tell her?" Serena asked.

"Well – no, but – "

"Serena, what happened?" Sirius asked, cutting off James' stammering.

She stopped laughing, and looked around the pet shop. There were a few witches and one old wizard in the store, and they were all looking at the three teens. "Let's not talk here," Serena said in an undertone to James and Sirius.

They met up with Lily, Rosie, Remus, and Madison, and the seven friends Apparated to Sirius' flat so they could talk privately. Remus, Madison, and Rosie sat down together on the couch, while Lily sat in the armchair with James sitting on its arm. James kept shooting glances at his girlfriend – Serena knew that he wanted to ask her how she had kept a secret from him. Serena was trying to keep her distance from Sirius since Remus, Madison, and Rosie still didn't know about their relationship, but Sirius wasn't making it easy. Serena had felt his eyes on her ever since they had started walking back from the pet shop, but she shot him a quelling look and he reluctantly sat on the other arm of his couch.

Madison was telling them how she and Serena had run into Lestrange, Rosier, and Wilkes. "And so then Serena left with them," Madison said, wrapping up the story. "And I ran to the Quidditch shop to get Remus, James, and Sirius."

"What happened then?" Lily asked. "Madison and Remus came to the Madam Malkin's to tell Rosie and I what was going on, but before we could get really worried the three of you were back."

James, Sirius, Remus, Madison, Lily, and Rosie looked at Serena questioningly. "Rosier and Wilkes were in front," Serena began quietly.

Her face took on a distant expression. "Lestrange and I followed them. I don't know where they were taking me exactly; they didn't say. Rosier and Wilkes were looking for a Portkey, though, I heard them talking to each other about it."

"A Portkey?" Lily prompted when Serena stopped talking.

Serena looked up and met Sirius' eyes. "They were taking me to Lord Voldemort."

"Serena – " Sirius started, standing up.

He stopped when Serena shook her head. "I'm going to go home," she said. "I have to make sure my brother's okay."

She gave Sirius and Lily a pointed look, then Disapparated.

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Sirius felt impatient. After Serena had left, Lily had quickly disappeared as well. Sirius knew that Lily gone to Serena's, and he wanted to go as well. His friends, however, seemed to have a different idea. They wanted to discuss what had happened and had no intention of leaving Sirius' flat.

Finally James realized that Sirius wanted them to leave, and he whispered something to Remus. The two boys convinced Rosie and Madison to leave as well, and Rosie, Madison, and Remus Disapparated. "Everything okay?" James asked Sirius before he left.

Sirius gave a quick jerk of his head. "It'll have to be."

James clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder in comfort before he also Disapparated.

_Finally!_ Sirius thought, and then he Apparated to Serena's house. Not bothering to knock, he headed inside and heard voices coming from the kitchen. "No, Lily, you don't understand," he heard Serena say. "He _touched_ me."

"Oh. Oh!" Lily said, sounding disgusted.

Sirius walked into the kitchen and saw Serena and Lily sitting at the table. "What did you just say?" Sirius asked.

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Serena Apparated back to her home, calling for her brother. "Al! Al!"

There was no answer. Just then Lily Apparated beside her. "Is Al home?" Lily asked.

"No, he must still be out," Serena replied, fingering her pendant nervously.

"I'm sure he's fine," Lily told her friend reassuringly.

"I hope so."

The two girls sat down at the kitchen table. "Lily – " Serena began, then hesitated.

"What is it?" Lily asked, looking at her friend concernedly.

"Lestrange," Serena finally said.

"What? What did he say to you?"

"Oh, Lily," she said. "I was so scared. He kept saying that he was taking me to Voldemort and that Voldemort would kill me, and my brother, and he threatened to kill all of my friends too. And he said that Voldemort had been chasing me for years, and that I'd die no matter what – but that he would torture me first."

"Oh, Serena," Lily said softly. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I – I don't know. God, Lil, I was shaking like a leaf afterwards, when James and Sirius found me. Sirius kept asking me if I was okay, and I couldn't even stop clinging to him. It was embarrassing."

"Serena," Lily said, her voice mildly reproachful. "You don't have to feel embarrassed about needing someone."

Serena shrugged. "Maybe not," she said. "But I do."

Both girls were quiet for a moment. "Lestrange is sick," Serena finally said.

Lily snorted. "You don't have to tell me that."

"Lily – he touched me," Serena said, sounding as if she were having trouble getting the words out.

"He hurt you? Where?" Lily asked, looking at her friend.

"No, Lily, you don't understand," Serena said. "He _touched_ me."

"Oh. Oh!" Lily said, her eyes wide and looking disgusted.

Suddenly they heard a sound coming from the sitting room. "What did you just say?" came a voice.

Serena suppressed a groan. Sirius was here. She had definitely not wanted him to hear about this.

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_**Author's Note:**_** You know how I got inspired by this story? By reading some great James/Lily fics (Priori Incantatem and Absolute Shocker!, you should check them out) and listening to the Rolling Stones song 'Angie'.**

**Did you need to know that? No. Do you care? Probably not. But there you go. **

**Review, please!**

_**New chapter coming soon, I promise!!!**_


	14. You Sexy Thing

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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Serena and Lily exchanged a look. Sirius did not look or sound happy. "You know what, I'm going to go," Lily said.

"No – Lily – "

"No, Serena, I think I should."

Sending Lily a last reassuring glance, she stopped when Serena said, "Lily, wait, I forgot to tell you something."

"What is it?" Lily asked.

"Sirius told James about our relationship a few weeks ago. And James is – well – he doesn't like that you knew and didn't tell him."

"Even though he knew and didn't tell me."

"Right."

Lily sighed. "Thanks for the heads-up."

She shot a glance at Sirius. "Good luck," she said to Serena.

Sirius scowled at Lily, who Disapparated. "So what were you and Lily talking about?" Sirius asked, crossing his arms.

Serena stood up and moved to walk out of the kitchen. "Sirius, I don't want to deal with this right now."

Sirius moved to stand in front of her. "Who touched you?"

"Sirius – "

"Who?"

Serena lowered her eyes in defeat. "Lestrange."

Serena saw the fury in Sirius' eyes. "Where?" he growled.

"Sirius – "

"Serena! Where?" Sirius yelled.

"Why the hell are you yelling at my sister?" Al's voice came from the doorway.

Serena and Sirius both looked over. They hadn't heard Al arrive. "Al – " Serena began.

"Why were you yelling at my sister?" Al asked Sirius again, his voice growing louder.

"None of your business," Sirius spat out.

"What did you just say to me?" Al asked, stepping threateningly towards Sirius.

"What, have you gone deaf all of the sudden?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me – "

"Stop it!" Serena cried, stepping between the two.

She placed a hand on Al's chest to stop him from moving towards Sirius, and Al looked down at her arm. "What happened to your arm?" Al asked.

Serena and Sirius both looked at her arm. It was starting to bruise. "I'm sure Uncle knows how to make it to go away," Serena said dismissively.

Al stepped back. "The both of you had better sit down and tell me what's going on."

Al and Serena sat down at the kitchen table while Sirius leaned against the counter. "Al," Serena began. "I ran into Lestrange, Rosier, and Wilkes today."

"Where?" Al asked sharply.

"We all went to Diagon Alley," Serena explained. "Madison and I were walking by ourselves when we passed Knockturn Alley. We kept walking but Lestrange, Rosier, and Wilkes saw us and started calling my name. No one was around, Al. There was nowhere to run to. So we stopped. Lestrange said I had to go with him or else Rosier and Wilkes would hurt Madison."

"Then what happened?" Al asked tensely when Serena paused.

"I went with him. He had hold of my arm. That's probably where the bruise came from. But I managed to distract him and slip into a pet store. I changed into a cat so they couldn't find me when they came in looking. And then Sirius and James found me, and we came home."

"Where was he taking you?" Al asked, looking as if he already knew the answer.

"To Voldemort. They're not giving up, Al. We have to find out what they want with us."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Al said, getting up and putting his arms around his sister.

"I'm fine," Serena said, lying through her teeth to her brother.

Her eyes met Sirius', and she quickly looked away. Al sat back down in his chair and looked at Sirius. "Where the hell were you?"

"Excuse me?" Sirius asked.

"Why weren't you with Serena? You should be protecting her."

"I don't have to listen to this from you – " Sirius started angrily.

"I do not need _Sirius_ as a bodyguard," Serena interrupted.

Sirius stopped leaning against the counter and came up to Serena. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Serena stood up. "Exactly what it sounds like," she snapped. "I don't need you to protect me."

Catching sight of Al's smirk, she turned to him. "I don't need you, either," she added. "You know what I need from both of you? I need you to leave me alone."

And with that, she quickly disappeared upstairs to her room.

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The next day, Serena was surprised to find Al in the kitchen when she came down for breakfast. He was usually gone by the time she woke up. "What are you still doing here?" she asked him.

"I wanted to talk to you."

Serena sighed, sitting down. "Al, it's way too early for me to deal with this right now."

"Look, I'm sorry I got so upset yesterday. But you're my sister, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

Serena gave him a small smile. "I know."

Al gave her a hug. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Go on, get out of here."

"All right. I'll see you tonight."

He Disapparated, and Serena was left alone in the kitchen. She put her head in her hands. _I can finally stop pretending_, she thought.

Serena was tired, scared, and upset. If she hadn't passed that pet shop in Diagon Alley, there would have been no escape from Lestrange. She would have been brought to Voldemort, and he would have killed her. Tortured her first, probably, to get her brother's location, and then killed her.

_Why? Why does he want me dead so badly that three of his supporters would risk kidnapping me from Diagon Alley? Sure, no one saw them dragging me down the street, but what if someone had? It could have undermined their standing in the wizarding community. Right now, no one can prove that they're Death Eaters, but if they were abducting me they might have a little more to explain. Voldemort must really want me and Al dead to take that risk._

_And Lestrange……he's sick. Why did he make me touch him? He has Bellatrix. She may be crazy, but she's certainly not ugly._

Serena wondered what Sirius was doing. Had he left right after she had gone to her room? Had he and Al gotten into another argument? She was sure that Sirius was mad at her. _Not that I blame him. I'm such a terrible person! I was so scared, and then him and James came in and I threw myself at him……and then I tell him I don't need him and he has to leave! What kind of crazy person does that? I have serious problems._

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_She has serious problems_, Sirius thought.

After Serena had stormed upstairs, he and Al had looked at each other and hadn't said anything for a moment. Sirius had then told Al he was leaving and had Apparated back to his flat. Now, the next day, it was afternoon and Sirius hadn't heard from Serena. Sirius had decided to wait until Serena came to him.

_Why does she push me away? Why does she refuse to admit that she needs me?_

Then, with a frown of confusion, _Why do I want her to need me?_

Sirius' thoughts were interrupted by Serena herself. She had Apparated to his flat. "Hi," she said.

"Hey."

He didn't say anything and waited for her to speak. She was walking slowly around the room, running her hand along his couch. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "About – yesterday. Leaving you with Al in the kitchen."

Although it wasn't exactly the apology Sirius was waiting to hear, he took it nonetheless. "It's fine," he said.

Serena had stopped pacing and sat down on the arm of the couch. Sirius sat down on the couch and then, unable to resist, pulled Serena into his lap. "Are you okay?" he asked, running a hand through her hair.

"Yes," Serena said promptly, curling into him.

She knew she had said it too quickly, and sure enough, Sirius' suspicious were aroused. "Let me see your arm," he said, noticing that Serena was wearing long sleeves.

She reluctantly rolled up a sleeve, and Sirius' jaw tightened when he saw the purple bruises there. "Where else did he touch you?" Sirius asked, his jaw clenched.

"Sirius, don't make me say it."

She turned her face into his shoulder, and Sirius tightened his arms around her. "It's ok, baby," he said, kissing her hair.

She lifted her face, and their eyes met. His were dark with an emotion she couldn't read, and she leaned forward and kissed him. He responded and took control of the kiss, laying Serena down on the couch and lying on top of her. His hands were everywhere, as if he were trying to erase any trace of Lestrange. Serena clung to him and kissed him as if she'd die if she didn't. She, too, was touching him everywhere – voluntarily – forcing herself not to remember the feel of Lestrange.

"Serena – " Sirius began, pulling back slightly.

"Don't stop, Sirius," she said, breathing hard.

That was all Sirius needed to hear.

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A little while later, Sirius rolled over so that Serena was on top of him and he wasn't smashing her into the couch. Serena smiled at him. "That was nice," she said.

"Nice?" Sirius repeated, stroking her back.

Serena wiggled playfully. "All right, better than nice. Good."

She shrieked as Sirius started tickling her. "The best I've ever had!" she gasped between giggles.

Sirius grinned arrogantly. "That's what I thought."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up."

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A few hours later, Serena and Sirius were both fully dressed. "I really have to go," Serena said once again, giving Sirius a kiss.

"Okay," he said, his hands on her waist.

He kissed her back. "No, really," she protested weakly.

"Fine," he replied, still kissing her.

Finally, laughing, Serena pulled away. "I have to go! Al's probably already home. See you tomorrow."

With that, she Disapparated. Sirius smiled to himself as he went to take a shower before heading over to the Potters' for dinner. _Being with Serena was great,_ Sirius thought.

But by the time he had gotten out of the shower, however, something was bothering him. It had been in the back of his mind for awhile, but this was the first time he had allowed himself to think about it. _She wasn't a virgin._

Sirius shrugged. _It doesn't matter. I wasn't one either._

Shaking his head as if to clear it, Sirius Apparated to the Potter home. "Hello, Sirius," Mrs. Potter said distractedly, waving her wand at the pots in the kitchen.

"Hey Mrs. Potter," Sirius replied. "Is James upstairs?"

"Yes, go right on up."

"Thanks."

Sirius made his way up the stairs to James' room. James was lying on his bed looking at a Quidditch magazine, but for some reason he was smiling. "What is it?" Sirius asked, walking over to his friend.

James slammed the magazine shut guiltily. "Hey Sirius," he said. "When did you get here?"

"A minute or two ago. What're you looking at?" Sirius asked his friend, looking at him strangely.

"Nothing," James answered quickly.

Sirius grinned. "Let me see."

"No," James said, standing up.

"It's a picture of Lily, isn't it?"

"What makes you say that?" James asked, shifting from one foot to the other.

Sirius continued grinning. "It's a naked picture, isn't it."

"What?" James asked, his voice sounding higher than usual.

"I didn't know Lily had it in her," Sirius commented.

"You can't tell her you know about this," James ordered.

"Now why would I do something like that?" Sirius asked innocently.

"I'm serious. Lily would kill you."

Sirius shrugged. "Ah, well. What can you do?"

James rolled his eyes. "You're awfully relaxed today. You – "

Now James grinned. "You shagged Serena."

Sirius smirked. "What makes you think that?"

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After dinner, Sirius and James went back up to James' room. "So how was it?" James asked Sirius.

He was referring to Serena and Sirius having sex. They hadn't gotten a chance to talk about it before because Mr. Potter had come up to get them for dinner. "Great," Sirius replied.

"Cool."

There was a pause, and then Sirius spoke. "James……you were Lily's first, right?"

James looked at his friend. "Why?"

"Would it have bothered you if you weren't?"

James looked thoughtful. "I don't know. Maybe."

"But she wasn't your first," Sirius pointed out.

James shrugged. "Yeah, but – I don't know, sex is different for girls than it is for us. We'll do it with anyone, but girls only do it with you if they really like you. So yeah, it probably would have bothered me to know that Lily had liked someone else enough to do it with him. Why?"

Sirius didn't say anything, but James was no dummy. He could put two and two together. "You weren't Serena's first."

It was a statement, not a question, but Sirius answered it all the same. "No, I wasn't."

James hesitated, then asked, "How many other – "

"I don't know," Sirius replied, cutting him off. "I didn't say anything to her about it."

Sirius was looking decidedly glum now, and James didn't know what to tell his friend. "You should probably just talk to her about it," he finally suggested.

Sirius didn't look like he liked the idea. "Maybe," he said noncommittally.

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The next day, Lily came over to Serena's house early that morning. "Hey. Ready to go?"

Serena and Lily were going to meet Isabelle, Rosie, Alice, and Madison in downtown London to go shopping. "Yeah, in a minute," Serena said, her voice muffled.

She was rummaging inside her closet, and Lily couldn't see her friend's face. "You didn't tell Sirius what we were doing, right?"

Serena poked her head out. "Are you kidding me? Do I look stupid to you?"

"Madison didn't tell Remus either. Of course, I still can't believe she's actually coming. She hates shopping," Lily said.

Serena went back to rooting around her closet but continued talking to Lily. "Yeah, I know. Do you think he'd say or do anything about it, though? I mean, it's Remus."

"Remus can be as bad as the rest of them," Lily said sagely.

"I don't know how you all seem to know this about Remus," Serena said, finally emerging from her closet. "I just don't see it."

"Just give it time," Lily suggested.

Serena still looked skeptical. "Do you think there's something wrong when we don't tell our boyfriends where we're going because we're afraid of what they'll do?"

"I'm not afraid of James," Lily argued. "It just saves me a headache if I keep him in the dark."

She paused. "You're not afraid of Sirius, are you?"

"Of course not," Serena said, looking surprised. "How could anyone be afraid of Sirius?"

Lily shrugged. "He can be intimidating."

"Yeah right," Serena scoffed.

The girls made their way downstairs. "I didn't tell Al, either," Serena confided.

"Yeah, he can be pretty unreasonable too," Lily conceded.

Lily and Serena both Apparated to London and were walking down the street when Serena suddenly said, "So, I had sex with Sirius yesterday."

"Oh my God!" Lily squealed. "Really? I can't believe it! How was it? How did it happen?"

"Yesterday I went over to his flat to apologize for this fight we had, and – uh – the making up was pretty good."

Serena and Lily exchanged grins. "So, how was it?" Lily asked.

"Oh, it was good."

"Better than that other guy – your ex. Harry?"

"Henri. And yeah."

"Does Sirius know about Henri?" Lily wanted to know.

Serena looked uncomfortable. "Uh – no. We haven't talked about our exes with each other."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Sirius doesn't really have exes."

Serena frowned a bit and Lily continued, pointing out, "But you and Henri are still friends."

"Well, yeah, but – "

"Didn't he send you flowers on Valentine's Day?"

"Yeah, but – "

"Don't you still write to each other?" Lily persisted.

"Well – yes, occasionally – "

"Didn't he – "

"Lily!" Serena exclaimed. "I get it! But I'm not going to bring him up to Sirius. I won't lie if he asks me, but what's the point in talking about Henri?"

"I just think – "

Their conversation was interrupted as Madison and Alice came up to them. Besides James, Lily was still the only person who knew about Sirius and Serena's relationship.

Madison, Alice, Lily, and Serena all greeted each other and then Rosie and Isabelle showed up and the girls set off for a day of serious shopping.

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Later that day Serena Apparated back to her house, carrying a few bags. She had missed hanging out with all of her girl friends. She hadn't even known that Rosie had gone on vacation to France and gotten a French boyfriend! It hadn't been anyone that Serena had known, but still. Madison had also told them that Peter was still in Hungary, but Serena didn't really miss him all that much anyway.

She was heading up the stairs when she froze. Someone was moving around upstairs. _Is it Al? Should I call out to him? Or maybe it's not him. And then the person will know that I'm here. What should I do?_

Her thoughts whirling, Serena tried to come up with a plan. She quickly decided to turn herself into a cat, peek in the room and see who it was, and then if she needed to she could sneak back downstairs and Disapparate.

Running lightly up the stairs in cat form, Serena followed the sounds to her brother's room. She peered around the corner and saw a woman with curly red hair inside her brother's room. As Serena stood in the doorway, the red-haired woman looked up and saw the cat. She smiled. "Serena?"

Serena transformed back into human form and stared at the woman in shock. Besides Sirius, James, Lily, Al, and her uncle, _no one_ knew that Serena could change into a cat at will. She drew her wand. "Who are you?" Serena demanded.

The woman held up her hands in surrender. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I thought…Al…he didn't tell you I was coming?"

Serena didn't lower her wand. "No. Who are you?" she repeated.

"Felicity Thorpe. I – "

All of the sudden the two women could hear Al yelling downstairs. "Felicity?" he called.

"Up here," she called back, still eyeing Serena.

Serena lowered her wand once Al entered the room. He stopped, looking from Serena to Felicity. "Oh. I see you two have met."

"Al, what's going on?" Serena asked.

Felicity started moving towards the door. "Why don't I go downstairs…you two come down in a minute."

She hastily exited, leaving Al and Serena alone in Al's room. "Al, who is that? What's going on?"

Al rubbed a hand over his face. "Sorry. I didn't mean for you to find out this way. I'm sort of…she's…we're dating."

Serena stared at her brother in shock. Al had a girlfriend? "I…for how long?" Serena asked.

Al shifted uncomfortably. "Uh…since New Years' – "

"Since NEW YEARS'?!" Serena exclaimed, her voice growing louder. "You've been dating her since NEW YEARS' and you never told me?"

Al scowled at her. "You never told me about dating Sirius," he pointed out.

"I've only been dating him for two or three months, not eight!"

Al looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Look – let's just go down to dinner."

Serena crossed her arms. "Come on," he said, his tone wheedling. "Felicity made us something. She's a great cook."

"Well, I wouldn't know," Serena muttered, but she walked by her brother and headed downstairs.

Looking relieved, Al followed.

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The next day, James and Lily were at James' house while his parents were at work. The subject of Sirius and Serena's relationship had come up. "I can't believe you knew this whole time and never said anything to me," James said to his girlfriend.

Lily frowned at him. "You never told me, either."

Quickly deciding the best defense is a great offensive, she added, "And how do I know what else you're keeping from me?"

James looked taken aback. "What? I'm not keeping anything from you."

Lily crossed her arms. "Well, you were awfully good at keeping this secret."

James took a step towards her, running his hands up and down her arms. "Come on, Lils, don't be mad. Sirius is my best mate, and – "

All of the sudden James stopped talking and his hands stilled. "Oh, you're good, Evans."

Lily gave him an innocent look. "What are you talking about?" she asked, making sure her voice held a note of confusion.

James took a step back. "I can't believe you! Trying to make me feel guilty, when I just trying to help a friend!"

Lily placed a hand over her heart, looking affronted. "James, you can hardly blame me for – "

"This hurts, Lily, it really does."

They both paused, looking at each other. "We could keep doing this all day," Lily finally said.

James grinned at her. "I have better idea of what we could do to pass the time," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

He grabbed her hand, leading her towards his bedroom. Laughing, Lily followed him. "Does this mean you're not mad at me?" she asked as he closed the door.

James gave her a long kiss. Lily smiled, pulling him down to the bed. "I'll take that as a yes."

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_**Author's Note**_**: I'm finally continuing this story. Please review so I know it's worth it.**


	15. What a Sweetheart

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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"My brother has a girlfriend," Serena blurted out.

That very next day, she had Apparated to Sirius' flat and couldn't help those words tumbling from her mouth as soon as she had arrived. Sirius looked at her, not sure how to react. "And…that's bad?"

Serena sat down, crossing her legs. "Well, no. I liked her a lot, actually."

Sirius plopped down next to her, throwing an arm over her shoulders as Serena continued speaking. "She's not what I would have expected. I mean she's just so…nice. And sweet. Not in an annoying way but like…she's an actual good person."

"Well, if you're saying your brother's not a good person, I'm not going to argue with you there," Sirius said cheerfully.

Serena punched him lightly in the stomach. "I'm not saying that. It's just a bit of a surprise, that's all. But he was so happy last night. Carefree, almost. I don't think I've ever seen him like that…not that I can remember, anyway."

She didn't say anything for a minute, seemingly lost in thought. Sirius snuck a look at her. Her big blue eyes were staring into nothingness at something only she could see. "So…we like her?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.

Serena shrugged. "So far."

She wriggled out of Sirius' grasp, instead sitting cross-legged on the couch facing him and leaning forward a bit. "Only one thing has been bothering me."

Sirius wordlessly raised an eyebrow, and Serena continued with, "He's been dating her since New Years'."

"Since New Years'?" Sirius repeated.

"Yes."

"And you had no idea?"

"No."

"Oh."

Sirius put an arm around her again, pulling her close into his side. "I think we should tell everyone," Serena said.

Sirius looked confused. "About your brother's girlfriend?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "No, not that. About – " she paused and then, filled with anxiety over what his reaction would be, continued with, "about us. How we're…you know."

Sirius felt a tingling go through his body. It felt like anxiety, happiness, nervousness, and relief all at one time, but all he said was, "Right."

Apparently this lack of speech was making Serena feel the need to compensate, because she started babbling. "It's just, I know that James and Lily know and they didn't get mad over it or anything, which is good and possibly bodes well for telling the rest of our friends. But even though I like Felicity, when I first found out I just felt…well, not betrayed, exactly, but I just felt really let-down, like why wouldn't Al tell me about someone who has become such a big part of his life? And I don't want our friends to feel like – "

"I get it," Sirius finally said, cutting her off.

Serena carefully looked down at her hands as she waited to hear what Sirius thought of the idea. She didn't know why it had suddenly become so important, but it had. "I think we should do it."

Serena felt a smile spread on her face as she heard his words. She leaned back against his arm, looking up at him. "You do?"

"Yeah."

He grinned at her. "Just think of how jealous all my groupies are going to be of you."

Feeling too comfortable to move much, Serena just settled for an angry exclamation. "I can't believe you just said that! You're such an arrogant jerk."

There wasn't any heat in her words, so Sirius just smirked. He leaned in, leering into her face. "Don't worry, baby, I'm all for you."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Uh…I think we should see other people – AAAH!!" she shrieked as Sirius started tickling her.

Laughing, she said between gasps, "Okay! I'll keep you!"

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Later that day, Serena and Sirius were walking to Diagon Alley to meet Frank, Alice, and Rosie. "Should we just tell them now?"

"Sure," Sirius replied.

"We have to tell everyone around the same time, or else they'll tell each other and then wonder why _we_ weren't the ones that told them."

Sirius sighed. "Whatever."

"Well, it's decided, then. We'll tell Frank, Alice, and Rosie today…I can tell Remus tomorrow…and then – "

Sirius stopped walking. "What about tomorrow?"

"I'm having dinner with Remus tomorrow, so I can just tell him then," Serena said, then turned worried eyes on him. "Unless you want to tell him? I mean, he was your friend first."

She continued walking. "But Peter's in Hungary, and that just leaves Madison and Izzy – what?" she asked, looking back at Sirius, who hadn't moved.

"I didn't know you were having dinner with Remus tomorrow," he said, sounding put-out.

Serena linked her arm through his and dragged him along with her as she continued walking down the street. "Well, my birthday's next week, but Remus will be – indisposed – then, so he's taking me out to dinner tomorrow. Isn't that sweet of him?"

"Yeah, he's a sweetheart all right," Sirius muttered under his breath, but Serena heard him.

_Is he really upset about this, or is he just pretending? I have no idea. He sounds a little mad. He can't be jealous, though. Remus is one of his closest friends. I mean, come on. _Voicing these thoughts out loud, Serena said, "Sirius, please. Remus is one of your best friends. Do you seriously have a problem with this? You know he and I are also good friends."

"I don't have a problem with it," Sirius said, sounding a little defensive.

"Well, good," Serena said, choosing to believe him.

She stopped, gave him a big smacking kiss, then kept walking. "Come on, we're going to be late meeting the others."

Sirius gave her a light slap on the ass. "Whatever you say."

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Unbeknownst to them, Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange were walking only a few blocks behind Sirius and Serena and had spotted them ahead. Witnessing the physical displays, Bellatrix turned to her lover and said, "Well, isn't that sweet. My dear cousin's screwing the Dark Lord's prey."

Lestrange didn't look pleased. "What's the matter?" Bellatrix cooed.

"Your cousin oversteps his bounds," Lestrange said shortly.

Bellatrix frowned. "Why do you care?" she asked, sounding cross.

She didn't like this interest her boyfriend had in Serena. She always felt that he was a little _too _interested. "We must tell the Dark Lord every detail about her. He will want to know," Lestrange said coldly. "Come. We'll go to him now."

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The next day, Lily had come over to Serena's house and the two girls were talking in the kitchen. "And Frank and Alice were totally cool with it," Serena was saying. "But of course, they also kept their relationship a secret for awhile, so I thought they might be understanding."

"What about Rosie?" Lily wanted to know.

Serena shrugged. "She seemed fine with it too."

Serena had told Lily that she and Sirius had decided to let everyone in on their secret, and had already told Frank, Alice, and Rosie the previous night. Lily had been glad that everyone would know. Keeping secrets from friends was neither easy nor fun.

Suddenly the girls heard a door slamming, then laughter. "Sounds like Al and Felicity," Serena whispered to Lily.

She had also told her friend about her brother's new – well, not so new, as it turned out – girlfriend. Al and Felicity came into the kitchen. "Hey girls," Al said upon seeing Serena and Lily already there.

Felicity smiled. "Hi Serena."

Serena smiled back. "Hey. This is my best friend, Lily Evans."

They smiled and shook hands, exchanging nice-to-meet-you's. "So what are you two up to today?" Felicity asked, her and Al also taking seats at the table.

Lily frowned. "I have to leave soon to have dinner at my sister's fiancée's house."

"He isn't very nice," Serena explained to Felicity.

Felicity frowned a bit. "Oh. Well, maybe he's just very stressed about the wedding."

Al smiled at her, putting one of his hands over hers. "I doubt that's why he's a jerk, but I know better than to try and convince you that he's not secretly a very sweet man."

"Well, he could be," Felicity said stubbornly.

Serena and Lily exchanged looks, trying to imagine Vernon Dursley saying something nice to anyone. Then they both burst out laughing.

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A few hours later, Lily had left and Al was listening to a Quidditch match on the radio as he repaired the kitchen sink. Serena had told Al and Felicity that she was going to dinner with Remus, and Felicity had gone upstairs with her to help Serena pick out something to wear. "Do you know where you're going?" Felicity asked.

"No, it's a surprise."

Felicity smiled. "Oh, that's nice. Even though it makes it harder for you to know how to dress."

Serena gave a little laugh. "Well, I doubt it's anywhere too nice."

The two started going through Serena's clothes, finally deciding on a simple purple sundress that some seemed to make Serena's eyes look slightly purple. "Although it's a bit low-cut…" Felicity trailed off.

Serena shrugged. "I don't really have boobs anyway. What would it be showing off?"

Felicity laughed. "Well…sorry, I can't really argue with you there."

Felicity plopped down onto Serena's bed while Serena rooted around in her closet for shoes. "But Remus isn't your boyfriend, right?"

"No, no," Serena replied, her voice muffled. "I'm dating Sirius Black. Remus is one of Sirius' closest friends, actually. And when we first moved here, I was friends with Remus before I was friends with Sirius."

"So your boyfriend – Sirius – is okay with you going out to dinner, just you and Remus?"

"Of course," Serena said, emerging from the closet and holding a pair of black heels. "Remus will be gone for my birthday next week, so he's just trying to make it up to me now."

Serena looked at Felicity. "Why, do you think Sirius should be mad?"

Felicity held up her hands, palms facing Serena. "I don't know. I was just wondering."

Serena frowned. "Would Al be mad if you went out to dinner with a male friend? One who was also his friend?"

Felicity shrugged, then groaned as Serena stuck her head out of her room and yelled for her brother. "Al! Come here for a minute!"

Al came upstairs. "What's going on?" he asked, looking at his girlfriend, then his sister. "If Felicity had been friends with one of your friends before you two started dating, and then the two of them went out for dinner, you'd be okay with that, right?"

Al looked uncomfortable. "Uh…"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Al. This isn't a trick question. _And_ it's just hypothetical"

Al sighed. "One of my friends?"

Serena huffed out a breath. "Yes."

"One of my good friends?"

"Yes," Serena said, sounding irritated.

Al shifted from one foot to the other. "Uh...it probably wouldn't bother me."

"See?" Serena said to Felicity, although Al hadn't exactly sounded sure of his position on the issue.

"Can I go back to fixing the sink now?" Al asked.

"Yes. I've got to change, anyway."

"Come down and show me the whole outfit when you're done," Felicity said to Serena, and then she also left, following Al downstairs.

Serena could hear them whispering together as she closed the door to her room. As she got dressed, brushing her hair and putting on some makeup, her mind wandered. _Is it really such a big deal that I'm having dinner with Remus? It never even occurred to me that it would bother Sirius. I wouldn't care if he had dinner with Lily, or Madison, or Rosie, or any of them. Does this mean he doesn't trust me? Or Remus? Or is it just some weird guy thing? I wonder how Madison feels about it._

Deciding that Madison was obviously fine with it or else Remus wouldn't be doing this, Serena decided that men were just weird about these things. Maybe not even all men. Maybe just stubborn, annoying ones like Sirius and her brother.

She was distracted from her thoughts when she heard someone running up the stairs. Serena opened her door and found Felicity outside her door. "What is it?" Serena asked. "I was just about to come down."

Felicity gave her a knowing smile. "Sirius is downstairs."

Serena looked surprised. "Sirius?"

Felicity nodded, then followed Serena down the stairs.

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Sirius could feel himself growing irritated. Al and the redhead – Al's girlfriend, he assumed – hadn't looked that surprised to see him. And now he was sitting in the living room waiting for the redhead to bring Serena downstairs, and Al had actually sat down next to him. Sirius could just feel the older man grinning at him, thoroughly enjoying Sirius' discomfort.

He eyed Serena when she came into the room. She was wearing a little purple dress that made her eyes look more intense than usual, was much too low-cut, and heels that made her legs look miles long. Getting to his feet and frowning when he saw how pretty she looked, Sirius jerked his head towards the kitchen. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Serena, he noticed, glared at her brother as she followed Sirius to the kitchen. "What's going on?" she asked him once they had some privacy.

"Nothing – I just wanted to – you look pretty," Sirius finally said, giving her a quick kiss.

Serena looked at him suspiciously. "Thanks. Did you come over to approve my wardrobe?"

Sirius looked at her. "Please," he scoffed. "I just wanted to tell you that Isabelle and Gregory are coming over to my place tonight, and I thought I'd tell them about us. Unless you want to."

Serena's expression cleared. _See, he doesn't care about me having dinner with Remus. He just wanted to let me know about telling Isabelle. _ "Oh, no, that's fine, you can tell them. That's great! Then after tonight, everyone except Madison will know. And I'm sure Remus would tell her before I could, anyway."

Sirius didn't say anything. "Actually," Serena said. "How late will Izzy be there? Maybe we could come to your place after dinner."

She grinned, leaning closer to whisper in Sirius' ear, "And then maybe everyone else could leave…and I could stay."

Sirius gave her a slow smile, wrapping his arms around her. "That could be arranged," he said in a low voice.

He kissed her, pulling her closer so that her body was pressed up against his. As always, he lifted her up a bit so that she was more on his level – which had the added bonus of him using his hands to cup – and squeeze – her butt. Serena twined her arms around his neck, kissing a trail from his mouth to his ear, which she began nibbling. Sirius growled low in his throat, which always made Serena giggle. It really didn't surprise her sometimes that a dog was the animal that he could change into.

She went back to kissing him on the lips, thoroughly enjoying herself, when she and Sirius were suddenly blasted apart. Serena scowled at her brother, who was standing there with his wand out. Hearing the blast, Felicity hurried into the kitchen. "Al!" she admonished him.

He lowered his wand, but glared at Sirius. Serena ran a hand through her hair. "Al, you're really an ass sometimes," she said.

"And I really don't need to see _that_ going on in my kitchen," Al snapped.

Serena glanced at Sirius, who was scowling at Al. "That's why we usually go to Sirius'," Serena said in a sweet, explanatory tone. "Then we're not interrupted."

She turned and gave Sirius a quick peck on the lips. "See you later tonight?"

Sirius smirked at Al, who looked furious, over Serena's shoulder. "Yeah baby, see you later," he replied cockily, then Disapparated.

"You are not going over there later," Al said immediately.

Serena waved a hand at him dismissively. "Oh, Al, relax. Other people are going to be there too."

"Serena – " Al started, but Felicity laid a hand on his arm.

She whispered something into his ear, and Al's expression brightened considerably. "I'm pretty sure some sort of sexual promise was just made," Serena said out loud, making a disgusted face. "I'm going to go back upstairs."

She had just reapplied her lip gloss when Remus appeared in the doorway to her bedroom. "Hey. You like nice," he said.

"Hey," Serena said, giving him a quick hug. "Thanks. You too."

Remus was wearing a nice pair of pants with a blue button-up shirt. She looked down the stairs for a moment. "My brother isn't making out with his girlfriend or anything down there, is he?"

"Uh, not that I saw, no."

"All right then, let's go."

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An hour later, after they had arrived at the restaurant and ordered dinner, Remus was entertaining Serena with tales of Marauder activities in the past. "So you bewitched that statue to make sex noises whenever Filch walked by?" Serena asked.

Remus grinned. "Well, naturally, it was Sirius' idea…and I think Filch was kind of flattered, at first."

Serena giggled. "How are things going with Madison?" she asked, changing the subject as the waiter brought them their salads.

"Good, I think. She met my parents, and they love her. I met her family, and I think they liked me. Of course, they don't know about – "

"That doesn't matter," Serena said firmly, cutting him off. "You know it doesn't."

Serena fiddled with her napkin. "Speaking of…dating and stuff…there's something I wanted to tell you."

"What's that?" Remus asked, looking at her curiously.

"Well, I – I'm, well, I'm sort of, not sort of, I mean I actually am, dating someone."

Remus, seeming to sense how hard it was for her to get this out, stayed silent. "It's a real relationship, actually," she continued. "And it's with, uh, Sirius."

Remus' fork clattered onto his plate. "Sirius _Black_?" Remus couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Is it really that much of a shock?" Serena asked, eyeing the fallen salad fork.

Remus snatched it up again. "No, it's just – I'm surprised a little, just because the both of you seemed so against relationships."

He held up a hand as Serena opened her mouth, saying, "But it doesn't surprise me that it's you two together. There was always something there, I thought."

Serena settled back in her chair. "Really? You thought that?"

Remus shrugged. "Yeah, kinda."

He paused. "How long have you two been…"

Serena shifted in her chair a bit uneasily. "Well…since right before the school year ended, actually."

Remus' face remained impassive. "So…this whole time…?"

"Yes," Serena said, searching his face for any signs of anger. "We didn't know it would get to be, you know, a _thing_, when it first started, and we just thought people would make too big of a deal out of it."

"I see."

Serena waited a minute, but he didn't say anything else. "You're not mad, are you? Would it have been better if Sirius told you? We just – "

"No, I'm not mad. And it's fine."

There was silence for a moment. "Really?" Serena finally asked, anxiously.

Remus smiled at her. "Yes, really. Does everyone know now?"

"Well, after tonight, I think everyone but Madison will."

Remus grinned at her. "Let the teasing begin."

"If Peter and Rosie get together too, I am breaking up with Sirius."

Remus laughed. "I'll be on the lookout for any signs of Rosie falling for Wormtail's charm."

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"Hey," James said, arriving at Sirius' flat.

"Hey."

Sirius appeared to be organizing his textbooks, which James knew wasn't a good sign. Sirius only organized things when something was bothering him. "What's going on?" James asked cautiously.

"Did Remus take Lily out to dinner on her birthday?"

James looked confused. "Uh…we were all there, remember? It happened during school?"

"Oh. Right."

"Why?"

Sirius looked up from his books. "Next week is Serena's birthday, but it's a full moon. So he took her out to dinner tonight. She thought it was sweet," Sirius said with a grimace.

"Oooooh," James said, dragging out the word and looking knowingly at Sirius.

Sirius sighed. "Would it bother you if he took Lily out?"

James shrugged. "I don't know," he said cheerfully. "Maybe. Lily tells me I'm a possessive ass. She thinks it's because I'm an only child. Something about how not having sibling means I never learned how to share."

"So what's my excuse?" Sirius wondered.

"Maybe you're just an ass in general," James suggested. "Or selfish. Or untrusting. Or – "

"I get the picture, thanks."

He paused, then, "I went over to Serena's before Remus came. She looked pretty."

James snorted with laughter. "You went over there? You're such an idiot."

Sirius scowled at him. "I would kill you, but I don't have time to hide the body. Izzy and Gregory should be here soon."

Grinning wickedly, he added, "I bet Lily's chatting it up with some nice Muggle boy right now."

He felt much better upon seeing the frown that now marred James' face.

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"Ready to go to Sirius'?" Serena asked Remus.

They had been at the restaurant, talking and eating, for several hours now, and Serena knew they would be getting to Sirius' flat much later than he had probably expected. "Sure," Remus replied.

"Thanks for dinner," Serena said as they walked out.

"No problem. Have a happy birthday."

They Apparated to Sirius' flat, coming in to find Sirius, James, Isabelle, and Gregory playing Exploding Snap – while drinking, which Serena could only assume accounted for the raucous laughter accompanying the game. After all, Exploding Snap wasn't _that_ much fun. "Hey guys," Serena said, as Remus closed the door behind her.

"Serena!" James exclaimed, getting up and giving her a big hug that lifted her off the ground. "There you are!"

Serena looked back at Remus, who grinned at her. James put her down, taking a step back, and Remus whispered in her ear, "James tends to be an affectionate drunk."

Serena saw Sirius looking at her and Remus and hastily took a step away from him. "Remus!" James exclaimed again, also giving Remus a big hug. "You're here too!"

Serena sat down next to Sirius on the floor. "Hey baby," he said, leaning forward to give her a kiss.

Serena was pretty sure he meant to kiss her on the mouth, but ended up getting her chin instead. "Hey, your face moved!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "No, I think that was you."

She looked across the coffee table at Gregory and Isabelle. "Hey Izzy, Gregory," she greeted them.

"Oh my gosh Serena!" Isabelle screeched. "You and Sirius! I can't believe it! This whole time! It's so great!"

Serena smiled, trying to inconspicuously cover her ears. "Thanks, Izzy."

She leaned back to talk to Remus, who had sat down a little ways from her. "I don't know if we should start drinking to catch up, or just leave now," she told him, her eyes twinkling with amusement at her drunken friends.

At her words, Sirius put an arm around her. "You're not leaving me to go with him again," he said, slightly slurring his words.

Serena looked at Remus, who was looking at his friend. "I think we're drinking," Remus said quietly.

"Yes! Everybody's drinking together! All friends forever!" James exclaimed happily, handing Serena a bottle of whiskey.

Serena took a swig, then started to pass the bottle to Remus when Sirius grabbed it. "No. Mine," he said, taking a drink.

He held it out for her to take another drink, then took another one himself. James gave Remus a bottle of rum instead, and Serena looked at Remus apologetically. Remus mouthed the words "Belligerent drunk" to her, jerking his head towards Sirius as if that explained his friend's behavior, and Serena nodded.

She hoped that was all it was.

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_**Author's Note: **_**Review! Please! I myself am a really horrible reviewer, but I'm trying to become better at it because I know how much it means to the author.**


	16. Fighting

**Love and Trust**

_**By: Apolla**_

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Serena and her entire family. Oh, and any other unfamiliar names of random friends and characters I might choose to throw in here.**

_**Setting:**_** Except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the entire story takes place in what we'll call "Marauder time" – when Sirius, James, Lily, and the rest attended Hogwarts.**

_Note__: This takes place after OotP, using some of the info we learn in THBP, and as this was written before TDH, nothing in that book pertains to this story (although I did love the 7__th__ book)._

_**Pairings**_**: Mainly Sirus/OC with a little James/Lily on the side.**

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Two hours later, it was one-thirty in the morning and Isabelle and Gregory had left Sirius' apartment. James and Sirius were as drunk as they had been upon Serena and Remus' arrival, and Serena had quickly caught up. Remus, however, seemed to be in good shape. "Come on, James, I'll take you home," Remus said, pulling his friend to his feet.

"Really? Wow. Remus! You're such a great friend!"

Serena started laughing uncontrollably at James' words. "James, you're so funny," she said.

"I'm funny," Sirius said to Serena sulkily.

Serena shook her head. "Wanna know something, Sirius? Sirius. Sirius, do you wanna? Wanna know? Okay. Okay, listen to this. You – you're mean."

"Uh-oh!" James said loudly, leaning against Remus. "But she's right, Padfoot."

"Is not," Sirius said belligerently, crossing his arms.

Remus pulled James out the door. "Good night," he called back to Serena and Sirius.

"'Night, Remus," Serena replied.

Sirius didn't say anything. "See?" Serena said, after the door had closed and Remus and James were on their way home. "I told you. You didn't say anything to Remus. He's your friend. You know what I mean? You're mean to him."

Sirius and Serena were sitting on the floor. She was leaning against the sofa, and Sirius lay down. Stretching out on the floor, he rested his head in Serena's lap. Almost absent-mindedly, she brought one of her hands to rest in his dark, unruly hair. "Remus doesn't care. He knows how I am."

He looked up at Serena, but her eyes were closed. She had fallen asleep. Closing his eyes, Sirius drifted off to sleep as well.

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Serena awoke with a crick in her neck. Her legs felt especially heavy, and she had a headache. "Uuuggghhh," she moaned.

She reached a hand up to massage her neck, then looked down. Sirius was asleep, his head still in her lap. Serena looked out the window and saw the sun shining. "Shit!" Serena said loudly.

Sirius didn't move. Serena shoved his head off of her. Sirius groaned, blearily opening his eyes. "Wha – "

He saw Serena jump to her feet, glance around for her shoes, bag, and wand, and quickly gather them together. "Serena," he started, but she cut him off.

"Sirius, it's morning. We fell asleep! Al is going to kill me!"

Without another word to him, she Disapparated. Sirius looked out the window, then at the floor, then at his watch. Then he rolled over and went back to sleep.

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Serena snuck back into her house. She made it to the stairs, then saw Al sitting on the top step. Serena froze. "Where the hell were you?" Al asked, his voice low with restrained anger.

Serena sighed. "Al, I'm sorry. I fell asleep on the floor in Sirius' apartment."

Seeing her brother's disbelieving look, Serena said, "I swear, I did! Well…ok, I had a little bit to drink. And I woke up about five minutes ago, realized it was morning, and came back here."

She stopped talking, but Al didn't say anything. Serena fidgeted under his glare, fiddling with her pendant. "Al, come on, don't be a – "

"Do _not_ finish that sentence," Al said, finally getting up and coming down the stairs.

He stopped on the last stair, towering over his sister even more than usual. "How could you be so irresponsible? You are extremely lucky that I didn't call Uncle Alastor or burst into Sirius' at three in the morning. Didn't you think that I would worry? You know what our situation's like. Why would you do something like this?"

"Al, I messed up, I know!" Serena said, looking up at him earnestly. "I'm sorry. I made a mistake, ok? I'm sorry."

"I know you're sorry," Al said. "But that doesn't change the fact that you did something stupid. You and I can't afford to do stupid things, Serena. That's a reality you're going to have to face."

With that, he turned around and went back upstairs, going into his room and closing the door. Serena stood at the bottom of the stairs for a moment, biting her lip to keep from crying, before also heading upstairs to her room, closing the door, and collapsing onto her bed.

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That evening, Serena was still in her room when there was knock on the door. Opening it, she found Felicity in the doorway. "Hey," Serena said, looking tired.

"Hey yourself. Dinner in ten minutes."

Serena looked down at herself. She still hadn't changed from the purple sundress. "Okay, I'll change and then come down."

Felicity gave her a smile and then left, closing the door behind her. Serena quickly changed and hurried downstairs. Upon reaching the kitchen, she inhaled deeply. Dinner smelled good, which meant that Felicity had made it. Al came into the kitchen, but he didn't say anything to Serena. The three of them sat down and began eating silently. Felicity broke the silence, talking about her day at work (she worked at the Ministry), and Al made a few comments. None of them were directed towards his sister. Felicity spoke with Serena, but Al was silent during these exchanges.

Serena felt terrible. She played with her pendant absentmindedly. She always hated it when her brother, the only family she had left, was angry with her. Still, she tried to make the best of it and spoke with Felicity. "This dinner is so good, Felicity," Serena said.

Then, in a joking tone, she added, "Why haven't you been cooking for us every night?"

To her surprise, Felicity looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well, when you were at school, I did actually cook for your brother every night…and then I was in Hungary investigating some Dark activity from right before you got out of school until that day we met."

Serena snuck a glance at her brother, who was studiously looking down at his plate, before saying, "Well, I'm glad you're here now. I usually lose weight once I'm at home."

Felicity eyed her. "Well, we can't have that. You're already too small as it is."

"I am not small," Serena protested. "I'm just…"

She trailed off, looking at Felicity's curvaceous figure with something akin to envy. Serena sighed. "Well, anyway, good thing you're here to feed me."

She looked at her brother again, but he still wasn't looking at her. She sighed again.

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The next day, Serena woke up to an empty house. After a strained dinner last night, Serena had cleaned up the kitchen, then returned to her room, leaving Felicity to deal with her brother. She knew he was mad at her, which meant he wouldn't be speaking to her until he was over it. Serena sighed as she got dressed.

She was supposed to meet Madison for lunch today. Serena had no idea whether Madison had heard about her and Sirius, or what Remus had told her about the other night. She had received an owl from Sirius, but hadn't replied. She just hadn't felt like dealing with anyone. Wearily, she made her way down the stairs. She felt like crawling back into bed, but knew it wouldn't do any good. It wouldn't make Al get over his anger any quicker. But she just hated it when he was upset with her.

She was startled by a knock on the door. Going to it and peeking out, she saw Remus standing on her doorstep. "Hey," she said, opening the door.

"Hey," Remus replied, stepping in and closing the door behind him.

Serena beckoned him to follow her, then headed further into the house. "I was going to leave in a little while go have lunch with Madison," Serena said to him.

"I know," Remus said.

Serena stopped and looked at him. Something in his tone…"What is it?" she asked.

Remus rubbed a hand over his face. "She knows about you and Sirius. She found out from Isabelle, and I think…I think she's upset she was the last one to know."

Serena sat down on the couch wearily. "Oh, lovely."

There was a pause. Remus continued to stand there, staring off into space. Serena looked at him carefully. "What else?" she asked him.

He gave a start. "What?"

"What else is bothering you?" Serena repeated.

He sat down in an armchair near her. "Well I – I think I made it worse. Sorry. But she really didn't like that I took you out to dinner and we were 'exchanging secrets'," he quoted.

Serena looked indignant. "First of all, we didn't really _exchange_ secrets – I don't think you told me any, did you?"

Remus shrugged. "Not that I recall."

"And secondly, why do people seem to think that – "

Serena broke off, but Remus seemed to know what she was going to say. "Sirius too, huh," Remus said simply.

"I just don't get it!" Serena burst out. "Madison is my friend. Sirius is your friend. Why would they think that we would – well, you know."

She turned her eyes to Remus, who shrugged again. "You don't seem very concerned," Serena said petulantly.

"To be honest, Madison's not upset with _me_ about any of this. She's mad at you. I just thought I'd give you a heads-up."

"Lucky bastard," Serena muttered, but not so quietly that Remus didn't hear her.

His lips twitched, but he suppressed a smile. "Anyone else angry with me? I'm keeping a list at the moment," Serena said.

"Why, who else is – "

Remus' question was interrupted by a knocking on the door. Remus' and Serena's eyes met, tension instantly filling the room. "I'm not expecting anyone," Serena whispered, answering the unasked question in Remus' eyes.

Remus got up and started moving towards the door. Serena did as well, but Remus turned and glared at her. "Get back," he ordered.

"Remus – "

"Serena!"

His tone brooked no argument and for some reason Serena found herself actually obeying him and standing next to the couch as Remus moved to the door and looked out. "It's Sirius," Remus said in a normal tone, opening the door.

Serena hurried into the hallway and saw Sirius' surprised expression. He hadn't been expecting Remus to answer the door. He closed the door behind him, this time turning to face the two of them with narrowed eyes. "What's going on?" Sirius asked.

"What are you doing here?" Serena asked, not answering the question.

She heard Remus groan and threw him a smug look. She knew perfectly well that this was not the way to soothe Sirius. Madison might not be mad at Remus, but a perverse part of Serena wanted to make sure that Sirius was. Why should she be the only one to suffer? This was all just as much Remus' fault as hers. "You didn't answer my owl yesterday," Sirius responded, sounding irritated.

"You know, I'm going to go," Remus said, edging towards the door.

"Good idea," Sirius said, not even looking at his friend.

Remus rolled his eyes at Serena, who smiled sweetly and said "Yes, you've already done what you came here to do. I'll let you know how everything goes."

Remus shook his head at her. He knew Serena was trying to provoke Sirius, but did she really have to use him to do it? He went to the hallway and Disapparated.

Serena hoisted herself up on the counter, finally looking at her boyfriend. Sirius did not look pleased, and with Remus gone, the fun of teasing Sirius seemed to leave as well. She sighed. "Come here," she said to Sirius.

Raising an eyebrow at her command, he nevertheless obeyed and came over to her, stopping in front of the counter. "What did Remus want?" he asked her.

Serena didn't answer, but leaned down and kissed him instead. "Serena," he said when they broke apart.

Serena pouted, crossing her arms. "Oh, all right. My brother's furious and isn't speaking to me, so I was sulking in my room all day. That's why I didn't answer your owl. And I'm having lunch with Madison soon and was going to tell her about us. Remus popped by to tell me that she already knows, and is also mad at me."

She leaned back against the cabinets, looking at Sirius. His expression was one of mingled irritation, lust, and something else Serena didn't recognize. She leaned forward again, wrapping her legs around his waist. Sirius brought his hands to her legs as if to pull them away from him, but to her surprise began stroking them instead. As he stroked the inside of her thigh, she felt a tingling go through her body. It must have shown on her face because Sirius now grinned and did it again. "Does this mean you're not mad at me?" Serena asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and slowly kissing first his forehead, then his cheek, then his lips.

"Bit hard to be mad at you at the moment," he finally replied once his mouth was free.

She began nibbling on his ear. "And Remus?" she whispered into it. "You're not really mad at him, are you?"

"Maybe you should just tell me what feelings I can have towards which people," Sirius suggested.

She drew back, smiling at him. "Good idea."

She shrieked as he suddenly hooked an arm under her legs, carrying her to the couch. He dropped her on it unceremoniously, lowering himself there as well. He reached a hand under her shirt, undoing her bra. "How long until you have to meet Madison?" he asked in a low voice.

It was a tone that Serena was starting to know well, one that always made her toes curl. "Here? Al could come home for something," she protested weakly.

"No he won't," Sirius said dismissively.

"Well," Serena said with a smile, pulling his face down to hers. "I can't really argue with that logic."

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"Well, you're certainly in a much better mood," James said to Sirius later that day.

James, Sirius, and Lily were lounging by Lily's pool. Petunia and Mrs. Evans had gone to London to pick up Petunia's wedding dress yesterday morning, and James and Sirius decided to take advantage and use Lily's pool during their absence. Lily opened an eye. "Yeah, you're not pouting today," she commented, then closed her eye again.

"I do not pout," Sirius said, eyeing Lily.

She was lying on her stomach, the back of her bikini unhooked so she wouldn't have a tan line. "He sulks," James said.

Sirius glared at his friend. "Sulking is more manly," James assured Sirius.

"Hey Lily look, a dementor!" Sirius said, pointing towards the other side of her yard.

Lily didn't move. "I'm not going to sit up without my bikini top on, Sirius."

She grinned wickedly. "Not while you're here, anyway."

"Padfoot, go home," James said immediately.

Sirius smirked, sitting back in his chair. "I don't think so."

James scowled at him. "So I guess you're not _pouting_ – " he made sure to emphasize the word " – because Serena's finally answered your owl?"

"Nope."

He paused, looking at Lily again. Her eyes were still closed. Grinning at James, who was still scowling at him, he added, "But I did go over there this morning and we had a good shag."

"Sirius!" Lily yelped, her eyes flying open.

She almost sat up, but stopped herself just in time. Sirius burst out laughing, joined by James, as Lily glared.

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At the same time, Serena was having a much less enjoyable time with Madison. She hadn't told Madison that Remus had stopped by and told her Madison already knew, so she told her about her and Sirius right away and then acted surprised when Madison informed her icily that she had already heard from Isabelle. "You could have told me sooner," Madison said.

"Look, we just – decided – one day, to tell everyone, and we just happened to see other people before you. It's not like I planned it, it just worked out that way."

Madison's expression was still stony. "Why don't you just say what's really bothering you, Madison," Serena said, sounding annoyed.

Madison scowled at her. "Excuuuse me for not jumping up and down for joy about you and Sirius. Is that what everyone else did? Ignored the fact that you lied – quite successfully, I might add – to all of us for weeks and weeks?"

"I wasn't thinking about YOUR feelings!" Serena said, her voice growing louder.

She ignored the stares of the other patrons in the restaurant. "This may be hard for you to believe, but Sirius and I didn't base our relationship on what you and everyone else would think."

Madison glared at her. "Oh, I know what your – relationship – is based on," she said coldly. "You forget that I've known Sirius longer than you have."

Serena was pale-faced with anger. "What are you saying, Madison?" she asked, her voice practically a whisper.

"Just don't come crying to my boyfriend when Sirius dumps you."

Serena felt her fury burning inside her, just waiting to be unleashed. She leaned in over the table towards Madison. All she cared about at the moment was hurting Madison as much as she could. "I wouldn't have to," she snarled. "He'd come – " here she smiled a cold smile " – to comfort me."

With that, she stood up and Disapparated. She stalked around her house, shaking with anger. She Apparated to Lily's, and found Sirius, Lily, and James all out by the pool. She held back a moment. She knew she could tell Lily what had happened, but she didn't know if she should talk about it in front of Sirius. The stuff about Remus…no, she definitely could not talk about that in front of Sirius.

She walked forward, revealing herself. She was sure the others could feel the anger emanating off her in waves. "What's going on?" James asked.

"Madison and I got in a fight," Serena replied.'

"What happened?" Lily asked.

Serena sat down on Sirius' lap. He put his arms around her, and she allowed herself to draw some comfort and calm from his embrace before turning to him and James. "I really need to talk to Lily alone," she said.

Sirius opened his mouth to argue, but Serena spoke again before he could get the words out. "I just want to figure out where's Madison's coming from, what her feelings are, what she's thinking about all this and – "

At her words, both Sirius and James started to move. "Yeah, fine, we'll go," James said.

"Right, girl talk, see you later," Sirius added, giving Serena a kiss.

With that, the two Disapparated. Lily looked at her friend, raising an eyebrow. "Talk about Madison's feelings?"

Serena shrugged. "I had to get rid of them somehow."

"Come on," Lily said, and Serena followed her friend into the house.

They went to Lily's room, and Lily pulled on a pair of shorts and t-shirt over her bikini before turning to Serena. "So what happened?"

Serena told Lily everything, starting with the night she and Remus went out to dinner and ending with her argument with Madison. After she got everything out, she felt her anger with Madison begin to fade – a little. "Well, that's quite a mess," Lily said slowly.

Serena took a look at her friend and started shaking her head. "Don't tell me I was too hard on her, Lily," Serena said. "I know exactly what she was thinking. You know this is the second time she's thought I was going after Remus? Remus! I mean, he's one of my friends and all, but…well, if I wanted Remus, I would have had him by now."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Sometimes the things you say really remind me of Sirius."

"He wants Remus?"

"Ha ha, very funny. You know what I mean."

Lily paused. "But you shouldn't have used Madison's insecurities about Remus against her, Serena."

"But it's so stupid!" Serena exclaimed.

"Yes, the idea of you and Remus together is pretty absurd, but you can't…you can't force her feelings to go away. She has to work out this thing with Remus on her own – or with him, preferably – and just because you know her weakness doesn't mean you should use it. Not if you're her friend."

"Oh, and you wouldn't be pissed if she told you James was just using you for sex?"

Lily shook her head. "Of course not. I know that's not true, and – "

Lily stopped talking. "You know that's not true, right?"

"What?" Serena asked sullenly.

"Sirius. You're his only real relationship ever, Serena. He – "

"I really don't want to talk about this right now, Lily," Serena loudly interrupted.

Lily shrugged. "Fine. Look, you should get going. My mother and Petunia are getting home today, my father will be home from work soon, and you should be home when Al gets there. Don't give him any more reasons to be angry with you."

"Fine," Serena said, sounding slightly irritated with her friend.

She Disapparated and a few minutes later, her brother and Felicity came home. Serena was glad she had gotten home before them – Lily was right about that, at least, she didn't need to make Al angrier – but she could still feel her own anger pounding through her.

Felicity made dinner, and Serena set the table, the plates and utensils bouncing on the table as Serena angrily flicked her wand at them. She could feel Felicity's eyes on her every so often, but she ignored her. Once the three of them sat down to dinner, Serena spent her time angrily mashing her food together on her plate before finally announcing that she was finished. "Serena," Felicity started, but Serena pretended she didn't hear her and left the kitchen.

Unfortunately, her brother followed her. "What's going on?" he asked.

Serena turned to face him, crossing her arms. "Oh, are you talking to me now?"

Al mirrored his sister's stance. "Cut the shit, sis."

Serena remained silent for a moment before saying, "I had a fight with Madison. And I think Lily's on Madison's side, which is just really not fair."

"What does Sirius think?"

Serena looked down at her feet. "Uh, I haven't told him. And I'm not going to."

"Why not?" Al wanted to know.

"Um…well, I don't know, he's being weird about our friend Remus, and Madison is Remus' girlfriend. And when we were arguing I sort of…um…I said stuff about Remus, and me, that I shouldn't have. I made it up, obviously, but there's no way I'm telling Sirius."

Al shook his head. "You really let your temper get the better of you sometimes."

"Oh, look who's talking," Serena retorted.

They looked at each other and grinned. Serena looked behind her brother and saw Felicity smiling at them. At least Al was now speaking to her.

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The next day, Serena went to Diagon Alley with Frank, Alice, and Rosie. "I hear you and Madison had a big fight," Rosie said.

Serena sighed. "Yeah…I think she was upset she was the last to know about me and Sirius."

The four friends made their way to Fortescue's ice cream parlor, ordered, and sat down. They talked about Frank meeting Alice's formidable older brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, and Rosie breaking up with her French boyfriend. "A Frenchman," Frank said, shaking his head.

"Why do English blokes dislike Frenchman so much?" Alice wondered.

Frank put an arm around her. "We just don't like them with our women."

"Are you ok?" Serena asked Rosie.

Rosie nodded. "It wasn't serious or anything."

Serena grinned at her friend. "And who doesn't have a French ex?"

"Um, I don't," Alice volunteered.

"That's my girl!" Frank said.

Alice flushed a bit and Serena and Rosie smiled. _Now _they _are an adorable couple, _Serena thought.

Her smile faded when she looked out the window and saw Bellatrix Black, along with her sister Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. Serena nudged Rosie, who also looked out the window. "What is it?" Alice asked, turning around.

She saw who they were looking at. "Have they bothered you again?" she asked Serena in a low voice.

Serena shook her head. "I've been lucky so far. They haven't found out where I live."

"I don't know how you always live with this fear, Serena," Alice said.

Serena shrugged, not knowing what to say, but Rosie piped up. "We all have to live with it, Alice. He's getting stronger, you know. Pretty soon no one who's good will be safe."

Alice looked unsettled.

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Later that day, Serena made her way home and was surprised to find Al and Felicity home already. "How was Diagon Alley?" Felicity asked Serena.

"Good. I met up with Alice, Frank, and Rosie there."

"What's for dinner?" Al asked, coming into the kitchen.

"Shepherd's pie. Oh, and I've invited Sirius. He should be here soon."

Both Al and Serena looked at Felicity in shock. "You did what?" Serena asked.

"Sirius. I sent him an owl. He should be here any minute."

"But – why?" Al asked.

Serena glared at her brother as Felicity answered. "He's Serena's boyfriend, Al. Why wouldn't I invite him over? I haven't really gotten a chance to get to know him, you know."

Felicity turned back to her cooking, but Serena heard her brother mutter "who cares?" under his breath.

Serena had no idea how this was going to go.

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Serena had underestimated Felicity. Dinner had gone well. Felicity had asked Sirius a few questions about himself, he had responded in a polite manner, and Al hadn't made any snide remarks. Felicity had looked horrified that Sirius lived on his own and his own mother had disowned him. She had already started treating him as if he were her younger brother that she had to take care of, but to Serena's surprise, Sirius had seemed to – well – like it.

Although it probably shouldn't have surprised her that Sirius liked being fussed over. Her brother was the same way. She wondered if it was because neither one of them had had a loving maternal figure.

_Well, fine. I'm glad Felicity and Sirius seem to like each other. This should make Al warm up to him a bit._

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_**Author's Note: **_**Review! I am not putting up the next chapter until I get some reviews, people. That may make me a review whore, but I don't care.**


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